Architecture for transport of multiple services in connectionless packet-based communication networks

A method performed by a communications network, said network comprising nodes interconnected by communication links, said method comprising:

• receiving an incoming message at an ingress port;
• attaching a header to the incoming message, the header comprising:
• a field indicating which of a predetermined set of protection types is associated with the message, and
• an address mode field identifying a type of addressing associated with a source and a destination address fields, wherein a first type of addressing comprises an M-bit address, wherein a second type of addressing comprises an N-bit address, N being significantly less than M;
• and
• routing the incoming message according to the associated protection type.

A method performed by a communications network, said network comprising nodes interconnected by communication links, said method comprising:

• receiving a payload to be transmitted from a node via an egress port of the node;
• attaching a header to the payload, the header comprising:
• a field identifying the egress port through which the payload is to be transmitted, and
• an address mode field identifying a type of addressing associated with a source and a destination address fields, wherein a first type of addressing comprises an M-bit address, wherein a second type of addressing comprises an N-bit address, N being significantly less than M;
• and
• transmitting the payload through the egress port identified in the header.