Abstract: An approach is provided in which a network hardware adapter stores offload information in a shared memory area that is located on a host system. The offload information includes connection information that was offloaded to the network hardware adapter by an application executing on the host system. An operating system (e.g., a network device driver) detects a network adapter error corresponding to the network hardware adapter and, in turn, retrieves the offload information stored in the shared memory area. As such, an analysis application utilizes the retrieved offload information to debug the network adapter error.

Abstract: An approach is provided in which a network hardware adapter stores offload information in a shared memory area that is located on a host system. The offload information includes connection information that was offloaded to the network hardware adapter by an application executing on the host system. An operating system (e.g., a network device driver) detects a network adapter error corresponding to the network hardware adapter and, in turn, retrieves the offload information stored in the shared memory area. As such, an analysis application utilizes the retrieved offload information to debug the network adapter error.

Abstract: An approach is provided in which a network hardware adapter stores offload information in a shared memory area that is located on a host system. The offload information includes connection information that was offloaded to the network hardware adapter by an application executing on the host system. An operating system (e.g., a network device driver) detects a network adapter error corresponding to the network hardware adapter and, in turn, retrieves the offload information stored in the shared memory area. As such, an analysis application utilizes the retrieved offload information to debug the network adapter error.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for processing packets for transmission. A set of interface specific network buffers is identified from a plurality of buffers containing data for a packet received for transmission. A data structure describing the set of interface specific network buffers within the plurality of buffers is created, wherein a section in the data structure for an interface specific network buffer in the set of interface specific network buffers includes information about a piece of data in interface specific network buffer, wherein the data structure is used to process the packet for transmission.

Abstract: An approach is provided in which a network hardware adapter stores offload information in a shared memory area that is located on a host system. The offload information includes connection information that was offloaded to the network hardware adapter by an application executing on the host system. An operating system (e.g., a network device driver) detects a network adapter error corresponding to the network hardware adapter and, in turn, retrieves the offload information stored in the shared memory area. As such, an analysis application utilizes the retrieved offload information to debug the network adapter error.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for processing packets in a network layer. A packet is received for transmission in which the packet includes a destination address. A routing entry for the destination address is identified. A determination is made as to whether a flag indicating the packet is to be broadcast has been set in the routing entry. Header information is placed in the packet in which the header information indicates that the packet is a broadcast packet in response to the flag being set.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for delivering data, received from a network on a network adapter to a pre-assigned port, to a storage buffer assigned to an application are disclosed. An application designates an application-specific buffer within a local data processing system for buffering data communicated with the application. The local data processing system reports to a network interface of the local data processing system a memory address of the designated application-specific buffer, and the data processing system designates a port on which to receive packets addressed to the memory address. The data processing system then sends a port registration message to the local network interface, enabling the network interface to compare the port number of incoming traffic to a registered port number and route incoming traffic from a remote data processing system directly to the designated application-specific buffers in the event of a match.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product in a computer-readable medium for delivering data, received from a network, to a storage buffer assigned to an application is proposed. An application designates a communication buffer within a local data processing system for buffering data communicated with an application. The local data processing system reports to a network interface of the local data processing system a memory address of the designated communication buffer, and the data processing system creates a cookie containing the memory address. The data processing system then sends the cookie form the local data processing system to a remote data processing system, such that the remote data processing system may address data directly to the designated communication buffer.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product in a computer-readable medium for delivering data, received from a network, to a storage buffer assigned to an application is proposed. An application designates a communication buffer within a local data processing system for buffering data communicated with an application. The local data processing system reports to a network interface of the local data processing system a memory address of the designated communication buffer, and the data processing system creates a cookie containing the memory address. The data processing system then sends the cookie form the local data processing system to a remote data processing system, such that the remote data processing system may address data directly to the designated communication buffer.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for processing packets for transmission. A set of interface specific network buffers is identified from a plurality of buffers containing data for a packet received for transmission. A data structure describing the set of interface specific network buffers within the plurality of buffers is created, wherein a section in the data structure for an interface specific network buffer in the set of interface specific network buffers includes information about a piece of data in interface specific network buffer, wherein the data structure is used to process the packet for transmission.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, data processing system, and a computer program product are provided for processing packets in switches. A first switch receives a packet from a network that is to be directed to a host. A determination is made as to whether all of the ports connected from the first switch to the host have failed. If all of the ports from the first switch to the host have failed, the packet is sent through a backup port connected to a second switch, which sends the packet to the host.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product in a computer-readable medium for delivering data, received from a network, to a storage buffer assigned to an application is proposed. An application designates a communication buffer within a local data processing system for buffering data communicated with an application. The local data processing system reports to a network interface of the local data processing system a memory address of the designated communication buffer, and the data processing system creates a cookie containing the memory address. The data processing system then sends the cookie form the local data processing system to a remote data processing system, such that the remote data processing system may address data directly to the designated communication buffer.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for maintaining a two-byte identification field of IP headers when a Gigabit Ethernet is in use are provided. Since the IP identification field is of two bytes, there is a limited number of identification numbers that may be used. Due to the high data transfer rate of the Gigabit Ethernet, this number may be reached within one second. Hence, there may be a possibility that two or more packets may have the same identification number while in transit. In a representative embodiment, one identification number is used for packets that may not be fragmented; thus, freeing the rest of the numbers for packets that may be fragmented.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for reducing dataflow disruption when increases in path maximum transmission unit (PMTU) are being detected are provided. Conventionally, when increases in PMTU are being detected, an increased-in-size data packet is sent by a transmitting host. If an intermediate link is unable to process the data packet through, it drops the data packet and sends an error message to the transmitting host. The transmitting host has to reduce the size of the data packet and resend it. The procedure outlines in this disclosure obviates the need to resend the data packet. It does so by transmitting an old data packet that has been increased in size. Hence, there is no need to resend the data packet if it is dropped.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for multicasting or broadcasting a piece of data from one partition of a partitioned computer system to a plurality of partitions of the system are provided. When a partition needs to transfer data to more than one partition of the system, the partition first stores the data into a global memory accessible by all partitions of the system. The memory is then marked “read-only” to ensure that the data is not over-written and the Ids (identifications) of the recipient partitions are passed to a piece of firmware or hardware of the computer system. This firmware or hardware then alerts the recipient partitions that there is a piece of data ready to be read in the memory. Once all the recipient partitions have read the data, the global memory is reverted to a “read” and “write” memory.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for processing packets in a network layer. A packet is received for transmission in which the packet includes a destination address. A routing entry for the destination address is identified. A determination is made as to whether a flag indicating the packet is to be broadcast has been set in the routing entry. Header information is placed in the packet in which the header information indicates that the packet is a broadcast packet in response to the flag being set.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for reducing dataflow disruption when increases in path maximum transmission unit PMTU are being detected are provided. Conventionally, when increases in PMTU are being detected, an increased-in-size data packet is sent by a transmitting host. If an intermediate link is unable to process the data packet through, it drops the data packet and sends an error message to the transmitting host. The transmitting host has to reduce the size of the data packet and resends it. The procedure outlines in this disclosure obviates the need to resend the data packet. It does so by transmitting an old data packet that has been increased in size. Hence, there is no need to resend the data packet if it is dropped.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for multicasting or broadcasting a piece of data from one partition of a partitioned computer system to a plurality of partitions of the system are provided. When a partition needs to transfer data to more than one partition of the system, the partition first stores the data into a global memory accessible by all partitions of the system. The memory is then marked “read-only” to ensure that the data is not over-written and the Ids (identifications) of the recipient partitions are passed to a piece of firmware or hardware of the computer system. This firmware or hardware then alerts the recipient partitions that there is a piece of data ready to be read in the memory. Once all the recipient partitions have read the data, the global memory is reverted to a “read” and “write” memory.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for transferring data from one partition of a partitioned system to another without using a network are provided. When a first partition needs to transfer data to a second partition, it marks the data, which is located in its part of the system's partitioned memory, as a “read-only” data and indicates so to partitioned system's firmware or hardware. This indication is usually manifested by passing a pointer to the data, as well as the identification of the partition to receive the data to the firmware or hardware. Upon being notified, the firmware or hardware of the partitioned system re-assigns the memory locations containing the data to the second partition and passes the pointer to the second partition. As a measure of (redundant) security, the second partition checks to see whether the data is indeed a “read-only” data. If so, it reads the data, else it does not.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for maintaining a two-byte identification field of IP headers when a Gigabit Ethernet is in use are provided. Since the identification field is of two bytes, there is a limited number of identification numbers that may be used. Due to the high data transfer rate of the Gigabit Ethernet, this number may be reached within one second. Hence, there may be a possibility that two or more packets may have the same identification number while in transit. In a representative embodiment, one identification number is used for packets that may not be fragmented. Thus, freeing the rest of the numbers for the packets that may be fragmented. Consequently, before the IP header is added to the packet, a check is made to determine whether the packet may be fragmented. If so, a unique identification number is used in the identification field of the IP header. If not, a non-unique number is used. The non-unique number is used for all packets that may not be fragmented.