Patent ID: 8090866

Claim:
A method of managing network communication comprising: establishing a first transmission control protocol (“TCP”) connection with a first network element, wherein said first TCP connection is between said first network element and a second network element, said first TCP connection is intended to be established with a third network element, and said first network element comprises a transmit buffer and a receive buffer; initiating a second TCP connection between said first network element and said third network element; establishing communications between said second and said third network elements via said first network element; determining that said second network element requires additional data via said first TCP connection, wherein said determining is performed by said first network element without said additional data being requested by said second network element, and said determining comprises detecting that acknowledged data is being removed from said transmit buffer for said first TCP connection, wherein said detecting comprises detecting an acknowledgement sent via said first TCP connection by said second network element, and removal of said acknowledged data frees space in said transmit buffer; in response to said determining, pushing said additional data from said receive buffer for said second TCP connection to said transmit buffer; transferring said additional data from said transmit buffer to said second network element without said additional data being requested by said second network element; closing said first TCP connection with said client in response to receiving a request for closing said connection from said data switching unit; and performing a two-stage operation for releasing a control memory entry for said connection; wherein said control memory entry comprises a connection block entry and a flow control entry, and said two-stage operation comprises: releasing said connection block entry prior to receiving said request for closing said connection; and releasing said flow control entry in response to receiving said request for closing said connection.