Patent ID: 8761189

Claim:
A method for communication, comprising: allocating, in a network interface controller (NIC) coupled to an initiator host, a single dynamically-connected (DC) initiator context for serving requests from an initiator process running on the initiator host to transmit data, via a packet network, to multiple target processes, including at least first and second target processes, running on one or more target nodes; transmitting from the NIC over the packet network a first connect packet directed to the first target process and referencing the DC initiator context so as to open a first dynamic connection with the first target process; receiving at the NIC over the packet network, in response to the first connect packet, a first acknowledgment packet containing a first session identifier (ID); following receipt of the first acknowledgment packet, transmitting one or more first data packets containing the first session ID over the first dynamic connection from the NIC to the first target process; after transmission of the first data packets, closing the first dynamic connection and transmitting from the NIC over the packet network a second connect packet directed to the second target process and referencing the DC initiator context so as to open a second dynamic connection with the second target process; receiving at the NIC over the packet network, in response to the second connect packet, a second acknowledgment packet containing a second session identifier (ID); and following receipt of the second acknowledgment packet, transmitting one or more second data packets containing the second session ID over the second dynamic connection from the NIC to the second target process, wherein first and second configurations of the DC initiator context are provided, wherein the first configuration causes the NIC to request and wait for the first and second acknowledgment packets, while in the second configuration the NIC transmits at least the first data packets immediately after the first connect packet without waiting for the first acknowledgment packet.