Methods and systems are disclosed for transferring data using descriptors to reference memory locations at which data is to be written to or read from. Each descriptor references a respective linked list of descriptor blocks. Each of the descriptor blocks includes a contiguous portion of the memory that stores a plurality of addresses, at which data is to be written to or read from. In response to receiving the data transfer request, a set of data is transferred from a first set of addresses specified in a first descriptor to a second set of addresses specified in a second descriptor by traversing the linked lists of descriptor blocks in the first and second descriptors.