Patent ID: 7974209

Claim:
A method for re-inserting a packet into a network interface circuitry included within a host computer system, the method comprising: determining that the network interface circuitry is configured to remove a packet from within the network interface circuitry and transmit the packet to network interface software on the host computer system for at least partially processing the packet; determining whether an audit mode is active, wherein the audit mode is a mode of the network interface circuitry that enables testing of the packet with the network interface software prior to the packet being processed by the network interface circuitry; determining whether the packet has been re-inserted within the network interface circuitry, wherein the packet has been re-inserted if the packet was previously removed from within the network interface circuit and at least partially processed by the network interface software before being inserted into the network interface circuitry for a second time; if the packet has been re-inserted within the network interface circuitry or the audit mode is not active, allowing the packet to be processed by the network interface circuitry; and if the packet has not been re-inserted within the network interface circuitry and the audit mode is active, removing the packet from within the network interface circuitry and testing the packet with the network interface software for compatibility with the network interface circuitry prior to the packet being processed by the network interface circuitry.