High performance integrated network communications architecture (INCA)

Current communication subsystem mechanisms within workstation and PC class computers are limiting network communication throughput to a percentage of the present network data rates. Though CPU and computer network speeds increased by more than an order of magnitude, the execution rate of computer functions and applications requiring network communications have increased only marginally. An integrated network communications architecture (INCA) is presented that is interoperable with all existing programs, computers and networks, and scales with network and CPU speeds. The INCA architecture minimizes internal system limitations and provides application level, as opposed to network interface level, internal machine data throughput rates near those of high speed network transmission rates. Test results of a software implementation of the INCA architecture on actual systems and networks are presented that show a 260% to 760% improvement in the application level throughput of network communicated data of workstation and PC class computers.