Patent ID: 6961784

Claim:
A method for processing non-data frames by a host bus adapter with a main processor and a first processor, wherein the host bus adapter is coupled to a host system having its own processor and to a fibre channel network, comprising: examining non-data frames, wherein a state machine in a fibre channel protocol module examines the non-data frames received from the fibre channel network; extracting frame header information from the on-data frames; storing non-data frame header information in a receive path of the host bus adapter, wherein a memory located in the fibre channel protocol module stores non-data frame information; notifying the first processor of non-data frames, wherein a signal from the state machine of the fibre channel protocol module indicates to the first processor that a non-data frame has been received; and processing non-data frames without generating an interrupt for the main processor of the host bus adapter, wherein the first processor of the host bus adapter processes the non-data frames instead of the main processor of the host bus adapter.