W_TCP_OFFLOAD_SEND_HANDLER callback function (ndischimney.h)

Article
10/21/2021

[The TCP chimney offload feature is deprecated and should not be used.]

NDIS calls the MiniportTcpOffloadSend function to transmit data on an offloaded TCP connection.

Syntax

W_TCP_OFFLOAD_SEND_HANDLER WTcpOffloadSendHandler;

NDIS_STATUS WTcpOffloadSendHandler(
  [in] IN NDIS_HANDLE MiniportAdapterContext,
  [in] IN PVOID MiniportOffloadContext,
  [in] IN PNET_BUFFER_LIST NetBufferList
)
{...}

Parameters

[in] MiniportAdapterContext

The handle to an offload-target allocated context area in which the offload target maintains state information about this instance of the adapter. The offload target provided this handle to NDIS when it called NdisMSetMiniportAttributes from its MiniportInitializeEx function.

[in] MiniportOffloadContext

A pointer to a memory location that contains a PVOID value. This PVOID value references the miniport offload context that contains the state object for the TCP connection on which the data is to be transmitted. The offload target supplied this PVOID value when it offloaded the TCP connection state object.

[in] NetBufferList

A pointer to a NET_BUFFER_LIST structure. This structure can be a stand-alone structure or the first structure in a linked list of NET_BUFFER_LIST structures. Each NET_BUFFER_LIST structure in the list describes a list of NET_BUFFER structures. Each NET_BUFFER structure in the list maps to a chain of memory descriptor lists (MDLs). The MDLs contain the data to be transmitted. The NET_BUFFER_LIST and associated structures are locked so that they remain resident in physical memory. However, they are not mapped into system memory.

Return value

NDIS_STATUS_PENDING is the only return value that is allowed. An offload target always completes a send request asynchronously by calling NdisTcpOffloadSendComplete.

Remarks

An offload target must transmit data in first in, first out (FIFO) order. The order of the linked list of NET_BUFFER_LIST structures that NDIS passes at NetBufferList represents the order in which the offload target must transmit the network data. In addition, an offload target should send the data that it receives from multiple calls to the MiniportTcpOffloadSend in the order in which the data was posted.

An offload target must accept all send requests made to its MiniportTcpOffloadSend function. If an offload target cannot complete a send request immediately, the offload target must queue the request until it can complete it. The offload target should use the MiniportReserved member of a NET_BUFFER_LIST structure to queue send requests. While a send request is pending, the offload target retains ownership of the NET_BUFFER_LIST structures and all the resources associated with the NET_BUFFER_LIST structures.

The host stack serializes send requests on a per connection basis. The stack will not issue a send request on a connection while another send request on that connection is in progress. This ensures that the offload target always receives the send requests in the correct order.

Note, however, that the host stack can call the MiniportTcpOffloadSend function on a connection before the offload target has completed one or more previous calls to the MiniportTcpOffloadSend function on that same connection. Note also that the host stack can call an offload target's MiniportTcpOffloadSend function on one connection while one or more calls to the MiniportTcpOffloadSend function are in progress on another connection.

The MiniportTcpOffloadSend function must synchronize access to its internal queues of network data with the offload target's other MiniportXxx functions that access the same queues. An offload target can use spin locks to synchronize access to the queues.

The offload target should (but is not required to) set the PSH bit on each NET_BUFFER_LIST boundary. The recommended way of doing this is to set the PSH bit in the last segment created from the data associated with each NET_BUFFER_LIST structure (that is, the data described by the NET_BUFFER structures associated with the NET_BUFFER_LIST structure). Alternatively, the offload target can set the PSH bit in the last remaining segment in the send queue before the send queue is emptied.

The host stack will not request the offload target to send urgent data.

Requirements

Requirement	Value
Target Platform	Windows
Header	ndischimney.h (include Ndischimney.h)
IRQL	Any level