System and method for expediting upper layer protocol (ULP) connection negotiations

1. A method for expediting an upper layer protocol (ULP) negotiation between a first node and a second node, the method comprising:

during establishment of a current connection, sending a modified acknowledgement packet from the first node to the second node, the modified acknowledgement packet comprising information that is used to retrieve parameters agreed upon by the first node and the second node in a previous ULP negotiation corresponding to a previous connection between the first node and the second node.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the modified acknowledgement packet comprises information that is used to complete a current transport layer protocol (TLP) connection set up process, the TLP corresponding to a lower layer than the ULP.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the ULP negotiation and the TLP connection set up process overlap in time.

4. A method for connecting a first machine to a second machine, the method comprising:

during establishment of a current Lower Layer Protocol (LLP) connection:

sending a synchronization (SYN) packet from the first machine to the second machine;

responsive to the SYN packet, sending a synchronization/acknowledgement (SYN/ACK) packet from the second machine to the first machine;

responsive to the SYN/ACK packet, sending a modified acknowledgement packet from the first machine to the second machine, where the modified acknowledgement packet comprises information used to expedite an Upper Layer Protocol (ULP) negotiation between the first machine and the second machine; and

retrieving previously negotiated and agreed upon parameters corresponding to a previous ULP connection.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the modified acknowledgement packet comprises information that is used to retrieve the previously negotiated and agreed upon parameters.

6. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising using information transported in the modified acknowledgement packet to complete the LLP connection set up process and to further an Upper Layer Protocol (ULP) negotiation.

7. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:

after retrieving the previously negotiated and agreed upon parameters, sending the retrieved parameters to the first machine.

8. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the modified acknowledgment packet comprises a cookie comprising information used to retrieve the previously negotiated and agreed upon parameters corresponding to the previous Upper Layer Protocol (ULP) connection.

9. The method according to claim 4 , wherein retrieving previously negotiated and agreed upon parameters comprises retrieving previously negotiated and agreed upon parameters in at least one of the first machine and the second machine using information that was stored in the modified acknowledgment packet.

10. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:

if the first machine and the second machine both agree to the retrieved parameters, then using the retrieved parameters to complete an Upper Layer Protocol (ULP) negotiation process.

11. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:

if the first machine and the second machine do not both agree to the retrieved parameters, then using the retrieved parameters as a starting point in an Upper Layer Protocol (ULP) negotiation process.

12. A method for creating a communications link between a first node and a second node, the method comprising:

setting up a Transport Layer Protocol (TLP) connection between the first node and the second node; and

sending information from the first node to the second node during the TLP connection set up, the information referencing parameters to expedite Upper Layer Protocol (ULP) negotiations for a particular type of ULP connection between the first node and the second node, the ULP corresponding to a higher layer than the TLP,

wherein the information referencing parameters to expedite ULP negotiations comprises information relating to previously negotiated and agreed upon parameters corresponding to a previous ULP connection for the particular type of ULP connection between the first node and the second node.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the information comprises a credential identifying the particular type of ULP connection requested.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the information comprises security information securing the second node from attack.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the security information comprises a cryptographic value.

16. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the second node verifies at least one of a credential and security information provided by the first node during the TLP connection set up before allocating resources of the second node for the first node.

17. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

securely storing and accessing the parameters from a previous ULP negotiation for the particular type of ULP connection between the first node and the second node.

18. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:

providing credentials to the second node from the first node, before committing additional resources to the particular type of ULP connection on second node's side.

19. A method for creating a communications link between a first node and a second node, the method comprising:

setting up a Transport Layer Protocol (TLP) connection between the first node and the second node; and

sending information from the first node to the second node after the TLP connection set up, the information referencing parameters to expedite Upper Layer Protocol (ULP) negotiations for a particular type of ULP connection between the first node and the second node, the ULP corresponding to a higher layer than the TLP,

wherein sending the information from the first node to the second node comprises sending a packet from the first node to the second node, the packet comprising information relating to previously negotiated and agreed upon parameters corresponding to a previous ULP connection for the particular type of ULP connection between the first node and the second node.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein setting up the TLP connection comprises a three-way TLP connection negotiation.

21. A first node that operates to expedite an Upper Layer Protocol (ULP) negotiation with at least a second node in a communication system, where the first node operates to, at least:

during establishment of a current connection, send a modified acknowledgement packet to the second node, the modified acknowledgement packet comprising information that is used to retrieve parameters agreed upon by the first node and the second node in a previous ULP negotiation corresponding to a previous connection between the first node and the second node.

22. A first node that operates to communicate with at least a second node in a communication system, where the first node operates to, at least:

set up a Transport Layer Protocol (TLP) connection between the first node and the second node; and

send information to the second node during the TLP connection set up, the information referencing parameters to expedite Upper Layer Protocol (ULP) negotiations for a particular type of ULP connection between the first node and the second node, the ULP corresponding to a higher layer than the TLP,

wherein the information referencing parameters to expedite ULP negotiations comprises information relating to previously negotiated and agreed upon parameters corresponding to a previous ULP connection for the particular type of ULP connection between the first node and the second node.