Systems and methods that identify the Upper Layer Protocol (ULP) message boundaries are provided. In one example, a method that identifies ULP message boundaries is provided. The method may include one or more of the following steps: attaching a framing header of a frame to a data payload to form a packet, the framing header being placed immediately after the byte stream transport protocol header, the framing header comprising a length field comprising a length of a framing protocol data unit (PDU); and inserting a marker in the packet, the marker pointing backwards to the framing header and being inserted at a preset interval.