Method of connectionless message transfer in an asynchronous transfer mode network

In an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network including a source user, destination user and one or more nodes, a method of transferring a short message via a fast connectionless type call, said method comprising the steps of:

• sending, from the source user to its attached node, a setup message indicating that a fast type call is to be set up to said destination user;
• sending, from said attached node to said source user, a connect message indicating to the source user to immediately begin transmitting said short message;
• transmitting said short message from the source user to said attached node;
• calculating a routing path to said destination user, the routing path including a plurality of nodes, each of the plurality of nodes including a subsequent node;
• forwarding said setup message to each of said plurality of nodes on said routing path in sequential fashion;
• forwarding said short message to each of said plurality of nodes on said routing path in sequential fashion;
• releasing resources at each of said plurality of nodes on said routing path once said short message has been forwarded to the subsequent node of the each node on said routing path;
• and
• forwarding said short message to said destination user.

A method of short message transfer in an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network between a source user and a destination user via one or more nodes, said one or more nodes including a first node, each of said nodes having an associated upstream node and an associated downstream node, said method comprising the steps of:

• transmitting a first fast setup message from said source user to the first of said one or more nodes;
• forwarding a second fast setup message from said one or more nodes to the downstream node in response to said first of said one or more nodes receiving said first fast setup message from said source node;
• each node of said one or more nodes forwarding a distinct fast setup message to its downstream node and lastly to said destination user in response to receiving said distinct fast setup message from its upstream node;
• transmitting a fast connect message from said first of said one or more nodes to said source user in response to said first of said one or more nodes receiving said first fast setup message from said source node;
• transmitting a short message from said source user to said first of said one or more nodes in response to said source user receiving said fast connect message, wherein said short message is transmitted from said source user before receipt by said destination user of said distinct fast setup message;
• each node of said one or more nodes transmitting said short message to its downstream node and lastly to said destination user after receipt of said short message from the upstream node and after forwarding said distinct fast setup message to the downstream node of the each node;
• and
• each node of said one or more nodes releasing call resources after said short message is forwarded to the downstream node of said each node.

A method of transferring short messages comprising a single cell in an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network between a source user and destination user via one or more nodes, said one or more nodes including a first node, each of said nodes having an associated upstream node and an associated node, said method comprising the steps of:

• transmitting a first fast setup message from said source user to the first of said one or more nodes;
• forwarding a first fast setup message from said first of said one or more nodes to the downstream node of the first of said one or more nodes in response to said first of said one or more nodes receiving said first fast setup message from said source node;
• each node of said one or more nodes forwarding a distinct fast setup message to its downstream node and lastly to said destination user in response to receiving the distinct fast setup message from its upstream node;
• transmitting a fast connect message from said first of said one or more nodes to said source user in response to said first of said one or more nodes receiving said first fast setup message from said source node;
• transmitting a short message from said source user to said first of said one or more nodes in response to said source user receiving said fast connect message, wherein said short message is transmitted from said source user before receipt by said destination user of said distinct fast setup message;
• and
• each node of said one or more nodes transmitting said short message to its downstream node and lastly to said destination user after receipt of said short message from its upstream node and after forwarding said distinct fast setup message to its downstream node.