Obtaining a destination address so that a network interface device can write network data without headers directly into host memory

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a network interface device for a host computer, a message containing a plurality of packets having a TCP header and a data portion;
• passing at least a portion of a first of the packets from the network interface device to the host computer, wherein said at least a portion includes a session layer header;
• receiving, by the network interface device, an indication of a destination in host memory, in response to the passing at least a portion of the first packet to the host computer;
• and
• transferring, by the network interface device, the data portions of any of the plurality of packets subsequent to the first packet into the destination without writing any TCP header portion of any of the subsequent packets into the destination.

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a network interface device for a host computer, a message containing a first packet and a plurality of subsequent packets having a TCP header portion and a data portion, the TCP header portion indicating an application in the host computer;
• passing a first part of the first packet, but not a second part of the first packet, from the network interface device to the host computer, the first part of the first packet including a session layer header portion;
• receiving, by the network interface device from the host computer, an indication of a destination in host memory provided by the application;
• and
• transferring, by the network interface device, the data portions of the subsequent packets into the destination without writing any TCP header portion of any of the subsequent packets into the destination.