1. A method of prefetching direct memory access descriptors from a memory, the method comprising: reading a plurality of first descriptors from the memory, wherein each of the plurality of first descriptors identifies a first address in the memory where data is to be written; reading a plurality of second descriptors from the memory, wherein each of the plurality of second descriptors identifies a second address in the memory where data is to be read; storing the plurality of first descriptors into a descriptor memory, and; storing the plurality of second descriptors into the descriptor memory.