Apparatus and methods for receiving data at high speed using TCP/IP

A method for receiving receive data associated with a bi-directional data flow between a first host computer and a second host computer, said first host computer and said second host computer being coupled via a computer network, said method comprising:

• storing receive-facilitating parameters employed for said receiving said receive data in a first control block, said first control block being implemented in said first host computer and associated with said bi-directional data flow, said receiving said receive data being performed in accordance with the TCP protocol;
• and
• employing said receive-facilitating parameters in said first control block to facilitate receiving a given portion of said receive data at said first host computer from said second computer, wherein said receiving said given portion of said receive data occurs simultaneously with servicing a transmit request pertaining to transmit data associated with said bi-directional data flow from said first host computer to said second host computer, said transmit data being transmitted using transmit-facilitating parameters stored in a second control block implemented in said first host computer, said transmit data being transmitted in accordance with said TCP protocol.

Circuitries for facilitating data exchange via a network, said circuitries being associated with a first host computer coupled to a network, said network being coupled to a second host computer, said circuitries comprising:

• means for storing receive-facilitating parameters employed for receiving receive data associated with a bi-directional data flow at said first host computer from said second host computer, said receive data being received using the TCP protocol, said means for storing being implemented in said first host computer;
• and
• means for receiving a given portion of said receive data using said receive-facilitating parameters, wherein said receiving said given portion of said receive data occurs simultaneously with servicing a transmit request pertaining to transmit data associated with said bi-directional data flow to said second host computer from said first host computer, said transmit data being transmitted using parameters stored in means for storing transmit-facilitating parameters, said means for storing transmit-facilitating parameters also being implemented in said first host computer, said transmit data being transmitted in accordance with said TCP protocol.