Patent ID: 7061910

Claim:
A method and a network for a universal transfer mode (UTM) for data transfer in a data network that transfers variable length payload data packets comprising: an adaptive header that is parsed to interpret a purpose and a destination for each packet transferred within the data network, the payload packets being appended to the adaptive header to effect the transfer of the payload packets through the data network, and the adaptive header being used alone as a control packet for control messages exchanged in the data network, transferring payload data packets as connectionless packet traffic wherein the adaptive header is used to distinguish a connectionless payload packet from a connection-based payload packet; transferring payload data packets as connection-based data packet traffic wherein the adaptive header identifies a connection through which the payload data packets are transferred; managing connectionless payload data packet traffic to ensure committed quality of service wherein the adaptive header identifies a quality of service associated with each connectionless payload data packet and the quality of service specifies at least an order in which the connectionless data packets are served during transfer through the data network; establishing any of a path, a connection within a path, or an independent connection using the adaptive header as a control packet; modifying the allocated bit rate of any of a path, a connection within a path, or an independent connection using the adaptive header as a control packet; and deleting any of a path, a connection within a path, or an independent connection using the adaptive header as a control packet.