Packet coalescing

A network interface controller, the controller comprising:

• at least one interface to a communications medium;
• at least one media access controller;
• and
• circuitry to:
• receive multiple ingress Internet Protocol packets, each of the multiple ingress Internet Protocol packets having an Internet Protocol header and a Transmission Control Protocol segment having a Transmission Control Protocol header and a Transmission Control Protocol payload, the multiple packets belonging to a same Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol flow;
• prepare an Internet Protocol packet having a single Internet Protocol header and a single Transmission Control Protocol segment having a single Transmission Control Protocol header and a payload formed by a combination of the Transmission Control Protocol segment payloads of the multiple Internet Protocol packets;
• and
• generate a signal that causes receive processing of the Internet Protocol packet.

A system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• memory;
• at least one interface to a communications medium;
• and
• circuitry to:
• receive multiple ingress Internet Protocol packets, each of the multiple ingress Internet Protocol packets having an Internet Protocol header and a Transmission Control Protocol segment having a Transmission Control Protocol header and a Transmission Control Protocol payload, the multiple packets belonging to a same Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol flow;
• prepare an Internet Protocol packet having a single Internet Protocol header and a single Transmission Control Protocol segment having a single Transmission Control Protocol header and a payload formed by a combination of the Transmission Control Protocol segment payloads of the multiple Internet Protocol packets;
• and
• generate a signal that causes receive processing of the Internet Protocol packet.