Patent ID: 7617438

Claim:
A method for processing a data packet in an interpartition virtual network in a logical partitioned data processing system, wherein the logical partitioned data processing system comprises a plurality of logical partitions that each simultaneously run an operating system therein, wherein each one of the logical partitions comprises a virtual network adapter that is used to send data packets to other virtual network adapters of other logical partitions within the logical partitioned data processing system to thereby form the interpartition virtual network, the method comprising: responsive to receiving the data packet at a first partition in the interpartition virtual network from a second partition in the interpartition virtual network in the logical partitioned data processing system, identifying a state of a first flag and a state of a second flag in the data packet; and selectively verifying a checksum, by the first partition in the logical partitioned data processing system, for the data packet as indicated by the state of the first flag and the state of the second flag, wherein the first flag and the second flag are both checksum-based flags that indicate checksum characteristics associated with the data packet wherein verification of a checksum is unnecessary if the data packet arrived over a physical network adapter that supports checksum offload and the checksum is verified to be good.