Method And Computer System For Providing Remote Direct Memory Access

A method for providing remote direct memory access data transfers between a first computer and a second computer, wherein said first computer and said second computer communicate with one another through communication adapters coupled to a network and wherein the communication adapter of said second computer can remotely access a memory of said first computer, and wherein buffers for data exchange are created in said memory, and wherein said first computer executes at least one operating system and comprises a protocol engine which is not part of the at least one operating system, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) said protocol engine analyzing a subset of data in said buffers to determine allowed memory locations in said memory, wherein in said allowed memory locations data to be exchanged is stored already by said first computer and/or will be stored by said second computer;
• b) said protocol engine configuring a memory protection unit of said first computer to grant at least one of the following:
• remote read access by the communication adapter of said second computer to said allowed memory locations, remote write access by the communication adapter of said second computer to said allowed memory locations;
• c) said protocol engine generating data packets comprising address information for said allowed memory locations and sending said data packets to said second computer;
• d) responsive to receiving said data packets, exchanging data between said first and said second computer by said second computer remotely accessing said allowed memory locations in said first computer using said address information via said memory protection unit;
• and
• e) said protocol engine reconfiguring said memory protection unit to prevent remote access by the communication adapter of said second computer to said allowed memory locations.