Network controller circuitry to issue at least one portion of packet payload to device in manner that by-passes communication protocol stack involvement

A method comprising:

• receiving, at least in part, by network controller circuitry a packet from a network, the network controller circuitry to be comprised in a first node, the first node to be communicatively coupled to the network and including a host processor to execute an operating system environment, the operating system environment including, at least in part, a communication protocol stack and an application, the packet including, at least in part, a header and payload;
• issuing from the circuitry at least one portion of the header to the stack, at least one portion of the payload being associated with the application;
• and
• issuing from the circuitry the at least one portion of the payload to a destination device in a manner that by-passes involvement of the stack, the destination device being specified, at least in part, by the application;
• wherein:
• the network controller circuitry is to determine, at least in part, whether the packet is associated with a particular session, the particular session being comprised in a set of one or more predetermined sessions;
• based at least in part upon whether the packet is associated with the particular session, the network controller circuitry is to issue the at least one portion of the payload to the destination device in the manner that by-passes the involvement of the stack;
• the network controller circuitry also is to receive another packet that is associated with another session, the another session being comprised in another set of one or more respective sessions, the set of one or more predetermined sessions and the another set being mutually disjoint from each other;
• the another packet comprises another header and another payload;
• and
• the network controller circuitry is to issue the another header, at least in part, and the another payload, at least in part, to the stack.

Computer-readable memory storing one or more instructions that

• when executed by a machine result in performance of operations comprising:
• receiving, at least in part, by network controller circuitry a packet from a network, the network controller circuitry to be comprised in a first node, the first node to be communicatively coupled to the network and including a host processor to execute an operating system environment, the operating system environment including, at least in part, a communication protocol stack and an application, the packet including, at least in part, a header and payload;
• issuing from the circuitry at least one portion of the header to the stack, at least one portion of the payload being associated with the application;
• and
• issuing from the circuitry the at least one portion of the payload to a destination device in a manner that by-passes involvement of the stack, the destination device being specified, at least in part, by the application;
• wherein:
• the network controller circuitry is to determine, at least in part, whether the packet is associated with a particular session, the particular session being comprised in a set of one or more predetermined sessions;
• based at least in part upon whether the packet is associated with the particular session, the network controller circuitry is to issue the at least one portion of the payload to the destination device in the manner that by-passes the involvement of the stack;
• the network controller circuitry also is to receive another packet that is associated with another session, the another session being comprised in another set of one or more respective sessions, the set of one or more predetermined sessions and the another set being mutually disjoint from each other;
• the another packet comprises another header and another payload;
• and
• the network controller circuitry is to issue the another header, at least in part, and the another payload, at least in part, to the stack.