public unsafe IList <ArraySegment <byte> > CreateBuffer(IList <ArraySegment <byte> > appendTo = null)
        {
            // key size
            var keyData   = BinaryConverter.EncodeKey(this.Key);
            var keyLength = keyData == null ? 0 : keyData.Length;

            if (keyLength > 0xffff)
            {
                throw new InvalidOperationException("KeyTooLong");
            }

            // extra size
            var extras      = this.Extra;
            var extraLength = extras.Array == null ? 0 : extras.Count;

            if (extraLength > 0xff)
            {
                throw new InvalidOperationException("ExtraTooLong");
            }

            // body size
            var body       = this.Data;
            var bodyLength = body.Array == null ? 0 : body.Count;

            // total payload size
            var totalLength = extraLength + keyLength + bodyLength;

            //build the header
            var header = new byte[24];

            fixed(byte *buffer = header)
            {
                buffer[0x00] = 0x80;                 // magic
                buffer[0x01] = this.Operation;

                // key length
                buffer[0x02] = (byte)(keyLength >> 8);
                buffer[0x03] = (byte)(keyLength & 255);

                // extra length
                buffer[0x04] = (byte)(extraLength);

                // 5 -- data type, 0 (RAW)
                // 6,7 -- reserved, always 0

                buffer[0x06] = (byte)(this.Reserved >> 8);
                buffer[0x07] = (byte)(this.Reserved & 255);

                // body length
                buffer[0x08] = (byte)(totalLength >> 24);
                buffer[0x09] = (byte)(totalLength >> 16);
                buffer[0x0a] = (byte)(totalLength >> 8);
                buffer[0x0b] = (byte)(totalLength & 255);

                buffer[0x0c] = (byte)(this.CorrelationID >> 24);
                buffer[0x0d] = (byte)(this.CorrelationID >> 16);
                buffer[0x0e] = (byte)(this.CorrelationID >> 8);
                buffer[0x0f] = (byte)(this.CorrelationID & 255);

                // CAS
                ulong cas = this.Cas;

                if (cas > 0)
                {
                    // skip this if no cas is specfied
                    buffer[0x10] = (byte)(cas >> 56);
                    buffer[0x11] = (byte)(cas >> 48);
                    buffer[0x12] = (byte)(cas >> 40);
                    buffer[0x13] = (byte)(cas >> 32);
                    buffer[0x14] = (byte)(cas >> 24);
                    buffer[0x15] = (byte)(cas >> 16);
                    buffer[0x16] = (byte)(cas >> 8);
                    buffer[0x17] = (byte)(cas & 255);
                }
            }

            var result = appendTo ?? new List <ArraySegment <byte> >(4);

            result.Add(new ArraySegment <byte>(header));

            if (extraLength > 0)
            {
                result.Add(extras);
            }

            // key must be already encoded and should not contain any invalid characters which are not allowed by the protocol
            if (keyLength > 0)
            {
                result.Add(new ArraySegment <byte>(keyData));
            }
            if (bodyLength > 0)
            {
                result.Add(body);
            }

            return(result);
        }