Patent ID: 8855128

Claim:
A network endpoint system for receiving network data of varying priority on behalf of a data consumer operating at the application layer of a network protocol stack implemented by said network endpoint system, comprising: a network interface controller operable to receive network frames containing inbound network data of differing QoS (Quality of Service) network data priority, wherein said network data priority of each said network frame relates to QoS characteristics comprising at least one of dropped packets, latency and jitter; plural network data handling channels each having a different associated QoS network data priority and representing a pathway for kernel protocol stack processing of said inbound network data, each of said data handling channels being accessible by said network interface controller at substantially the same time; and priority processing logic configured to evaluate said network data priority of said network frames and selectively transfer said inbound network data from said network interface controller to different ones of said plural data handling channels by matching said network data priority of said network data frames to said associated QoS network data priority of said data handling channels and present said inbound network data for kernel protocol stack processing on a prioritized basis according to said network data priority of said network frames such that higher priority inbound network data is presented through higher priority data handling channels for kernel protocol stack processing more quickly than lower priority inbound network data that is presented through lower priority data handling channels, wherein said network data priority of each said network frame is indicated by a priority indicator field in said network frame, and wherein said network interface controller or a network interface controller device driver in said system implements a portion of said priority processing logic that inspects said priority indicator field as one of a link layer priority indicator in a link layer portion of said frame or a network layer priority indicator in a network packet portion of said frame.