IP checksum offload

摘要

A technique enables a control unit to perform checksum operations for packets, which operations are otherwise performed by a host computer of a computer network. The technique involves the use of two data links coupled between the host and control unit; one data link is used for exchanging "normal" IP packets without checksum operations performed thereon by the control unit and the other link is used for exchanging IP packets that have undergone or will undergo checksum operations by the control unit. By "offloading" checksum operations to the control unit, the technique reduces processor cycles consumed by the host, thereby improving the performance of the host computer and network.