Patent ID: 7797460

Claim:
A virtual machine system, comprising: at least one processor; at least one memory coupled to said processor; computer executable instructions stored in said at least one memory that when executed by said at least one processor instantiate at least a source network object providing a virtual network interface card (NIC), an intermediate network object providing network switching, and a destination network object providing a second virtual NIC, comprising: computer executable instructions stored in said at least one memory that when executed by said at least one processor instantiate a network channel that connects said source network object, said intermediate network object, and said destination network object, said network channel being configured to send framed data packets among said source network object, said intermediate network object, and said destination network object; computer executable instructions stored in said at least one memory that when executed by said at least one processor instantiate a control channel that is separate from said network channel and connects at least two of said source network object, said intermediate network object, and said destination network object, said control channel being configured to send control data messages between said at least two network objects, wherein said control data messages enable respective network objects to setup a path for the sending of not fully framed data packets, therebetween; and computer executable instructions stored in said at least one memory that when executed by said at least one processor cause one of said network objects receiving a TCP/IP offload engine (TOE) connection request to determine that said TOE connection request should not be forwarded when the network object receiving the TOE connection request controls a physical NIC which can perform the TOE connection request in hardware or the network object receiving the TOE connection request is unable to find an adjacent network object which could handle the TOE connection request.