Patent ID: 7171489

Claim:
A computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions to upload an offloaded network stack state object from a first path going through a switch layer and having tasks performed by a processing module to a second path going through a plurality of software layers and the switch layer, the plurality of software layers and the switch layer having tasks performed by a host processor, the plurality of software layers including an intermediate layer, the network stack state object having at least one cached state variable and at least one delegated state variable, the computer-executable instructions, when executed, performing the steps of: the processing module communicating a value of the delegated state variable to the intermediate layer, the value of the delegated state variable controlled by the processing module throughout the offload of the network state object; commanding the intermediate layer to take control of the at least one delegated state variable; and sending data through the second path based at least in part on the delegated state variable and a value of the cached state variable, the value of the cached state variable controlled by the intermediate layer throughout the offload of the network stack state object.