Patent ID: 8589776

Claim:
A method of translating between a first communication protocol used by a first network component and a second communication protocol used by a second network component the method comprising: receiving, by a network engine adapter operating independently from the first and second network components, data packets from the first and second network components; performing, by the network engine adapter, a combined communication protocol based on the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol, including manipulating data packets of at least one of the first communication protocol or the second communication protocol, thereby offloading performance requirements for the combined communication protocol from the first and second network components; performing, by the network engine adapter upon receipt of a data packet from the first network component, a pause packet conversion, including translating a pause packet of the first communication protocol to a pause packet of the second communication protocol data flow; and performing, by the network engine adapter upon receipt of a data packet from the second network component, a pause packet conversion, including translating a pause packet of the second communication protocol to a pause packet of the first communication protocol.