Reducing memory accesses in processing tcp/ip packets

A computer program product embodied in a machine readable medium for processing packets of data comprising instructions that enable a computer to perform the steps of:

• receiving a packet of data;
• storing a payload of said packet of data in a buffer;
• reading a header of said packet of data to extract a value;
• indexing in a table storing a list of transport control blocks using said value;
• performing a lock operation on a transport control block in an indexed entry in said table;
• performing a read operation on said transport control block;
• transmitting a notification to an application to read said payload, wherein said notification comprises an address of said transport control block;
• and
• transmitting said payload of said received packet of data to said application whereby said application does not perform a lock, read, write or unlock operation on said transport control block.

A system, comprising:

• a communications adapter configured to communicate with an outside network, wherein said communications adapter receives a packet of data from said outside network;
• a memory unit coupled to said communications adapter, wherein said memory unit stores a table listing a plurality of transport control blocks;
• a TCP protocol stack running on said communications adapter;
• a TCP application running on said communications adapter;
• wherein said TCP protocol stack is configured to perform the following programming steps:
• storing a payload of said packet of data in a buffer in said memory unit;
• reading a header of said packet of data to extract a value;
• indexing in said table using said value;
• performing a lock operation on a transport control block in an indexed entry in said table;
• performing a read operation on said transport control block;
• transmitting a notification to said TCP application to read said payload, wherein said notification comprises an address of said transport control block;
• and
• transmitting said payload of said received packet of data to said TCP application whereby said TCP application does not perform a lock, read, write or unlock operation on said transport control block.