Network adapter with a common queue for both networking and data manipulation work requests

A method, comprising:

• in a network adapter that transmits and receives data packets over a network, and that connects via a local bus to a host processor and to a local host memory of the host processor, receiving in a common work queue (i) a data processing work item specifying a source buffer in the local host memory, a data processing operation, and a first target address in the local host memory, and (ii) an RDMA write work item specifying the first target address and a second target address in a remote memory;
• in response to the data processing work item, reading data to be processed from the specified source buffer, producing processed data by applying the specified data processing operation to the data read, and storing the processed data in the first target address;
• and
• in response to the RDMA write work item, transmitting the processed data in the first target address, over the network, for storage in the second target address of the remote memory.

A network adapter, comprising:

• a network interface, configured to transmit and receive data packets over a network;
• a host interface, configured to be connected via a local bus to a host processor and to a local host memory of the host processor;
• and
• processing circuitry, which is coupled between the network interface and the host interface and is configured to:
• receive in a common work queue, via the host interface, (i) an RDMA read work item specifying a source buffer in a remote memory and a first target address in the local host memory, and (ii) a data processing work item specifying the first target, a data processing operation, and a second target address in the local host memory,
• in response to the RDMA read work item, receive data to be processed from the source buffer, via the network interface over the network, and store the received data in the first target address of the local memory,
• in response to the data processing work item, read data to be processed from the first target address, produce processed data by applying the specified data processing operation to the data read, and store the processed data in the second target address in the local host memory.