Dma channels

In a computing environment, a method of communicating between an application and a hardware device, the method comprising:

• a hardware device writing data to host physical memory using a hardware view of the memory;
• mapping the data in the physical memory to a hardware driver view, usable by a hardware driver, without needing to copy the data to a different physical storage location;
• and
• mapping the data to an application accessible view accessible by an application without needing to copy the data to a different physical storage location.

A system comprising:

• a hardware device;
• system memory;
• an application that produces payload data to be sent to the hardware device and consumes payload data from the hardware device, wherein the application writes payload data to the system memory using an application view of the system memory;
• a driver that produces and consumes control data stored on the system memory using a driver view of the system memory;
• wherein the hardware device is configured to receive payload data directly from the system memory and write data directly to the system memory using a device view of the system memory, such that payload data transferred between the hardware device and the application and control data between the driver and the hardware device can be accomplished without actually copying the data.