WO2013077724A1 - Methods and systems for multimode internetwork platform and environment - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention presents a digital network system able to concurrently provide multimode internetwork system and environment over a plurality of disparate network systems. The invention provides the methods to enable the following internetworking connectivity services platform and environment, either discretely or in combination of, for: a) public and shared-media Internet services; b) IP-based MPLS-enabled services; c) hybrid network system connectivity sessions among disparate connection-oriented and connectionless network systems; and d) end-to-end, connection-oriented, and circuit-switching connectivity sessions for Virtual Dedicated-Media Internetwork-based applications.

Description

METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MULTIMODE INTERNETWORK PLATFORM AND ENVIRONMENT

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The invention is related to co-pending Malaysia patent application, Application No. PI 2011003441, entitled "Apparatus and Method for Multimode Internetworking Connectivity", filed on 22^nd July 2011. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention herein relates to the field of digital network system for communication and internetworking. More particularly, it relates to the methods and systems for enabling a multimode internetwork platform and environment over a plurality of disparate network systems, either providing for discrete or concurrent connectivity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The advent of digital technology had led to the convergence of computing, networking, and high-bandwidth communication technologies to provide network connectivity for a multiplicity of discrete or integrated interactive multimedia applications. The development and demand of said multimedia applications had inevitably led to network systems, infrastructures and network topologies having to evolve from a myriad of discrete network systems and platforms into integrated and hybrid network systems and platforms.

Although having integrated network transmission systems comprising of a myriad of 1) dedicated-media transmission means using connection-oriented and circuit-switching transmission medium systems and 2) shared-media transmission means using connectionless and packet-switching transmission medium systems, said multimedia applications presently only have a single choice of prevalent internetwork transmission media system to operate with, which is Internet Protocol (IP).

IP suites of network protocol stacks were created to be a data transmission media to enable a plurality of application programs to internetwork among a plurality of remote computers. Said network system eventually evolved to encompass the world and is known as the "Internet". Thus, IP transmission media had created a shared-media mode of internetwork platform and environment. The Internet is presently the only predominant transmission media internetwork platform for global internetworking capability. IP technology was designed and developed on a connectionless and packet- switching transmission methodology. Using intelligent IP-based router systems, each having computing ability, data is routed from source to destination endpoints using its router's CPU, node-centric label addressing, and Forwarding Information Base (FIB) table. For LAN capability, through encapsulation methodology, IP utilized existing connectionless and packet-switching network transmission medium technology, such as Ethernet and the likes. For WAN capability, IP harnesses existing lower-layer connection- oriented and circuit-switching network technology of the telecommunication infrastructures by "piggy-backing" through encapsulation and utilized them as transmission medium in both land-line and wireless means. Alternatively, for WAN capability, IP harnesses MPLS system, a hybrid packet-switching and circuit-switching network system, as transmission medium means for routing of its information packets.

Currently, end-user would subscribe for Internet services through an Internet Service Provider (ISP) by having interconnection between the users Subscriber Network Equipment (SNE) and the ISP network gateway equipment. To provide for connectivity, the ISPs utilize existing circuit-based telephony switches, MPLS system, and/or cable television (TV) infrastructures through copper wire, optic fibre, and/or wireless means to provide for network transmission means. In addition, said ISPs provides services only to shared-media IP- based internetwork environment. Thus, prior art embodiments are only able to provide a single-mode of shared-media based internetworking platform and environment.

As known by those skilled in the art, to enable faster routing of IP packets, associative or tag methods of label addressing and switching technology, such as MPLS and Tag-based switching embodiments, respectively, were implemented to enable IP switching.

Tag-based switching embodiments were implemented within switched Ethernet systems and in tag-based IP switched-based router nodes as described in US Pat No. 5,917,820. Said tag-based architectures are still node-centric packet-switching technology, except it enabled tag-based packet-switching in IP switched-enabled routers and nodes platform. The embodiment in US Pat No. 5,917,820 neither claims nor teaches how Tag Architecture could implements interoperability among disparate packet-switching and circuit- switching network systems

MPLS is a transmission means having network-layer functionality but is utilized as transmission medium means in a hybrid IP and circuit-based network platform. MPLS Architecture is documented under RFC 3031 , while the differentiated services solution is covered under RFC 3270, published by IETF on 2000 and 2001 , respectively. MPLS architecture was designed to overcome said interoperability issue not addressed by Cisco's Tag Architecture.

MPLS system was developed using agnostic label addresses, network emulation gateway interface, signaling emulation gateway to enable the implementation of a hybrid packet-switching and circuit-switching network system. Whereas IP is developed upon packet-switching technology, said MPLS network system utilizes both packet-switching and circuit-switching technology for transportation or "ferries" of IP packets through its network emulation gateway interface, known as Label Edge Routers (LER), and over Label Switch Routers (LSR) switch fabrics.

For enabling information packet to traverse through disparate network system and addressing scheme, MPLS implements associative addressing methodology for routing and address resolution. Basically with associative addressing, the differing node-centric and circuit-centric addressing means are associated with an agnostic label and said associations are recorded in a translation table, coined as label database (LBD) which is used for the routing and address resolution purposes.

MPLS has a signaling emulation gateway embodiment for enabling communication among disparate network systems' network-control and signaling primitives arising for differentiated service, not to mentioned, differing instruction and command primitives. Said signaling emulation gateway embodiment provides translation services for the differing network-control and management signaling primitives so that information packets would receive the appropriate services as it traverses through the hybrid network systems. Hybrid IP-based MPLS network system enables circuit-switching for IP technology. Whereas technologist are aware the network environment is more secure at MPLS switched network system section, due to the use of circuit-switching methodology, they also understood that the network security vulnerability could be exploited at and after the Label Edge Routers (LER) section of network systems as information packets transmission is handled over to IP-based networks. In short, MPLS system was utilized only as a transmission medium rather than a transmission media, as known by those well-versed in the art. With the increase usage and knowledge gain about the Internet network technology, the inherent weakness of connectionless and shared-media internetworking environment, which is its security vulnerability at the network level, had became well-known. Concern regarding the Internet inherent security vulnerability would inevitably led to the need to develop a more secure internetworking platform and environment, from a network level perspective.

In order to mitigate said security vulnerability, a myriad of security-based embodiments, such as digital signature, firewall, encryption and tunneling technology, had been developed. Nevertheless said security-based embodiments had failed to ensure a secure internetwork environment adequately suited for e-commerce.

The crux of the problems lies in IP connectionless and shared-media scheme for internetworking. Being shared-media, enable the ease of not only eavesdropping (i.e. phone hacking), but also for interception of information packets. In addition, using connectionless scheme, all incoming packets regardless whether or not it is benign or malicious must be processed by the addressed end-node or IP routers. More damaging is the ability and ease for any malicious end-users to insert malicious instructions or programs within said IP internetworking platform. Due to security vulnerability arising from the ability for malicious users to exploit IP connectionless and share-media scheme of communication for anonymous malicious and intrusive intends and purposes, this issue must be mitigated. Thus, there is a need to elimination said area of vulnerability in order to enhance security at the network-level of an internetwork environment. In short, there is a need for another internetwork platform which and environment which does not, in anyway, uses connectionless and shared-media network technology and methodology.

The solution for enabling said connection-oriented and circuit-based internetwork environment was invented and claimed in Malaysia Patent No. MY-129914-A by C T Lee, filed in September 12, 1997 and granted in May 30, 2007. The embodiment for said patent is a higher-layer network protocol having means to provide for presentation-layer, session- layer, transport-layer, and network-layer protocol functionality services. Said embodiment was coined Frame Adaptation Layer (FAL) due its ability of its packetized information to traverse from a packet-switching to a circuit-switching networks, visa-versa.

Said FAL's User Plane uses agnostic address labeling, which uses mapping or associative addressing methodology. Basically with associative addressing, the differing node-centric and circuit-centric addressing means are associated or mapped to an agnostic label and said associations are recorded in a translation table which is used for the routing and address resolution purposes.

FAL's Control Plane has signaling emulation gateway with signaling primitive emulation means, for enabling communication among disparate network systems' network- control and signaling primitives. This capability is need for interoperability communication among disparate systems having differentiate services, not to mentioned, differing instruction and command primitives. Said FAL's signaling emulation gateway embodiment provides translation services for the differing network-control and management signaling primitives so that information packets would receive the appropriate services as it traverses through the hybrid network systems.

One of the unique features of FAL network protocol is its ability to integrate to either Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) transmission medium or IP transmission media for internetworking services. Said FAL's Control Plane efficiently handles burst-mode computing communication over circuit-based network as it controls the Connect-Until- Terminate procedural function with the underlying circuit-based networks. When integrated with ATM, the resultant end-to-end connection-oriented internetworking connectivity sessions were coined as Virtual Dedicated-Media Internetwork (VDMI). Nevertheless, said FAL embodiment was designed to hot-wire either to ATM or IP in a similar manner as TCP and UDP are to IPv4. This create a lack of the flexibility as compare to an embodiment which is transmission media-independent and transmission medium-independent network protocol able to selectively subscribe to differing transmission means based upon needs of the end-users.

This is due to FAL embodiment lacks of a selector procedural function and means for it to, in combination of or discretely, subscribes to and supports a plurality of connectionless transmission media and circuit-based transmission medium. In addition FAL is also lacking of a management plane component for it to manage and operate in a multiplicity internetwork connectivity session environment.

As known by those skilled in the art, prior art transceiver neither have the ability to concurrently subscribe to nor able to support more than one ISP, not to mention the ability to provide subscribers to subscribe to disparate internetwork environments. Basically, prior art network transceiver embodiments are not able to in combination of and concurrently support connection-oriented and dedicated-media internetworking environment, such as VDMI, along with present shared-media Internet environment. In short, prior art transceivers were engineered having the inability to concurrently support multiple ISPs or multimode internetwork environment, at the subscriber level.

The present invention creates a multimode internetwork platform and environment. The present invention provides for novel methods for end-users and application programs to subscribe to a plurality of internetworking platforms for the subscription and allocation of resources to establish connectivity in a combination of shared-media internetwork and/or virtual dedicated-media internetwork environment, discretely or concurrently.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The first principal objective of the present invention is to provide for a multimode internetwork platform system and internetworking environment.

The second principal objective of the present invention is to provide the methods and means for the subscription and establishment of shared-media internetworking connectivity sessions and/or virtual dedicated-media internetworking connectivity sessions either discretely or concurrently.

The third principal objective of the present invention is to provide end-users with a multimode internetwork platform whereby end-users are able to discretely or concurrently subscribe for connectivity sessions using public shared-media Internet services, MPLS- enabled IP and MPLS-enabled Virtual Private Network (VPN) services, and/or circuit- switching network systems for VDMI-enabled internetworking services, among the disparate packet-switching and circuit-switching network systems and environments, for a myriad of application and usages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts the disparate types of prior art network platforms consisting of telephony and data network systems.

FIG. 2 depicts the differing types of prior art global data network and local area network systems for differing types of Shared-Media Internetwork (SMI) platforms and environment.

FIG. 3 depicts the differing internetworking environments supported by present embodiment of multimode internetwork platform.

FIG. 4 depicts the differing internetworking environments supported by said prior art IP-based shared-media internetwork platform.

Fig. 5 illustrated a multimode internetwork platform, comprises of differing internetwork network equipment topologies, for enabling multimode internetworking environment.

FIG. 6 depicts the key network components for establishing an internetwork platform to enable information transmission over a network system.

FIG. 7 is a table illustrating the differing network components and their respective service functions and capabilities. Fig. 8 depicts the paths and types of connectivity states, across the required network protocol stacks subscribed by application programs, to provide differing internetworking connectivity services and using a plurality of transmission media network protocols and components, in a multimode internetworking environment.

Fig. 9 is a diagram depicting the interaction process among the key network components for enabling a multimode internetwork platform, using a multimdde network transmission media component to concu ently subscribe for virtual dedicated-media and shared-media internetworking environment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram depicting the interaction process among the key network components for enabling virtual dedicated-media internetwork platform, using a dedicated- media specific transmission media component, for subscribing to virtual dedicated-media internetworking environment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram depicting the interaction process among the key network components for enabling prior art shared-media internetwork platform, using prior art transmission media components, for subscribing to shared-media internetworking environment.

Fig. 12 depicts the paths and types of connectivity states, across the required network protocol stacks, for application programs to subscribe for dedicated-media internetwork connectivity services using a dedicated-media specific transmission media network protocols and components for enabling only virtual dedicated-media internetworking environment.

Fig. 13 depicts the paths and types of connectivity states, across the required network protocol stacks, for application programs to concurrently subscribe to differing internetworking connectivity services among a plurality of network protocols and components, using a multimode transmission media for virtual dedicated-media and shared- media internetworking environment.

Fig. 14 depicts the paths and types of connectivity states, across the required network protocol stacks, for application programs to subscribe to prior art network protocol stacks for shared-media internetworking connectivity services among a plurality of network protocols and components for prior art shared-media internetworking environment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

To enable a multimode internetwork platform and environment (10), beside using prior art of Shared-Media Internetwork (SMI) network protocols, systems, and its related network programming primitives, MPLS systems, ICANN's Domain Name Server (DNS), Web-based hypertext technology, and application gateway interface and programming primitives, it also required other embodiments to cater and provide services for a virtual dedicated-media environment. Said key embodiments are:-

1. Multimode transceiver systems to subscribe for and support multimode network connectivity;

2. A versatile transmission media and medium independent higher-layer netwqrk protocol able to subscribes and operates over disparate virtual dedicated-media and shared-media network systems natively; and

3. A VDMI-based name server naming system, able to differentiate from the Internet's www pre-fix, for utilizing and mapping to International Telephony numbering system.

Shortcoming of prior art transceivers which catered for only shared-media Internet platform and environment, could been mitigated by using multimode transceivers and systems, created by C T Lee, enabling for multimode internetworking connectivity to cater for a multimode internetwork platform and environment. Method for said multimode transceivers and systems were subscribed in co-pending Malaysia patent application, Application No. PI 2011003441. Said multimode transceiver embodiments enable users to subscribe to and operate in a multimode internetwork environment, from a single transceiver, besides providing for existing internet services. To support a plurality of internetworking sessions and network platforms, said multimode transceiver embodiment has a management component able to proportion its available transmission bandwidth resources for providing a multiplicity of disparate connectivity sessions, concurrently in a combination of or discretely. For enabling said services, said transceiver having network control and management components having procedural means and programming means and primitives to communicate with and subscribe for the required services from a plurality of disparate transmission medium.

Media Adaptation Layer (88) is an improved embodiment of prior art FAL embodiment described in Malaysia Patent No. MY-129914-A. Like FAL, MAL (88) utilizes associative addressing labels for routing and address resolution, and having network programming primitive and network emulation programming primitive capabilities. MAL (88) also has means to manage Connect-Until-Terminate parameter with underlying circuit- switching transmission medium. MAL (88) is able to subscribe and support end-to-end connection-oriented and circuit-switching connectivity session for enabling VDMI environment (30). It also enables burst-mode application programs to operate efficiently and natively over purely circuit-switching network system (29a) and topology.

Unlike FAL, which is integrated or hot-wired to either IP network protocol or ATM transmission medium, MAL (88) is not. Instead, MAL (88) having switching/selector means to enable it to subscribe to any transmission media or medium, depending upon what type of communication session been requested by the application-layer programs. MAL network protocol (83, 88) was coined as Media Adaptation Layer due to its capability to subscribe to differing transmission media or medium means.

MAL higher-layer network protocol (88) has a User Plane component, Control Plane component and Management Plane component. MAL's User Plane component enabled network-based application-layer programs to interface and interconnect with it and subsequently to the subscribed underlying transmission media or medium network protocols. MAL's Control Plane component controls and governs over the signaling and network control services to subscribes for interconnection with underlying transmission media or medium network protocols, as well as, among interconnected MAL-enabled systems. MAL's Management Plane component governs and manages all its interconnects, be it solely on connection-oriented and circuit-switched based transmission medium network protocols for VDMI environment, or solely with connectionless packet-switching IP transmission media environment, either natively in IP router topology (29c) or through MPLS-enabled hybrid packet-switching and circuit-switching transmission topology (29b), as well as, a combination of both, concurrently. In addition, MAL's Management Plane has the means to manage a plurality of Permanent Virtual Circuits (PVC) connectivity sessions among each interconnected nodes to enable a fault-tolerance system.

To enable more humanized interface method, VDMI systems support VDMI-based Name Server (VDMI-NS). Like Domain Name Server (DNS) which associates IP addressing numbers with a name, VDMI-NS associates user name with the international accepted telephone numbering. Unlike DNS, VDMI-NS database entities relationships are more location-centric, and it is only allocated to user having pre-existing entity's name, such as a person name, registered company name or recognized organization name.

Fig. 1 depicts prior art embodiment of differing types of network system platforms (20) comprising of discrete and disparate telephony network system (21) and data network systems (40) utilized for telecommunication and shared-media internetworking usages, respectively.

Fig. 2 depicts the types of global internetwork system platforms (41) and local area internetworking system platforms (44) supported by prior art shared-media internetworking environment (40). As illustrated, said global internetwork platforms (41) comprise of IP router-based system (42) and IP-based MPLS systems (43) for providing a global shared- media internetwork environment (41). Also illustrated area local area network of internetwork system platforms (44) comprising of a plurality of shared-media network systems, such as DECnet (45), SNA (46), SPX/IPX (48), AppleTalk (47), and even IP (49) systems, for enabling local area network of shared-media internetworking environment (44). Fig. 3 depicts present embodiment of multimode internetwork platform and environment (10). As illustrated, said multimode internetwork platform and environment (10) comprises of discrete virtual dedicated-media internetworking (VDMI) environment (30), discrete prior art shared-media internetworking (SMI) environment (40), and also a combination of shared-media (SMI) and virtual dedicated-media internetworking (VDMI) environment (50). Further composition of internetwork system platforms encompassed within prior art shared-media internetwork environment (40) were illustrated in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 and described herein.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, said prior art IP-based shared-media internetwork embodiment (40) supported a plurality of differing shared-media platforms of internetworking environments. Said plurality of shared-media internetworking environment comprises of IP router-based internetworking environment (42), MPLS-enabled IP-based internetworking environment (43) and IP-based and MPLS-enabled virtual private network (VPN) internetworking environment (43a), as known by those well-versed in the art.

Fig. 5 illustrated the preferred embodiment, a multimode internetwork platform (10) comprising of differing internetwork systems and network equipment topologies, for enabling multimode internetworking environment (10). Also depicted is the use of multimode transceiver (13, 13a), consisting of land-line means (13) and wireless means (13a), for enabling the means to discrete and concurrent subscribe to the Internet, MPLS-enabled and VDMI platforms. The connectivity sessions established from said transceiver (13) for shared-media IP router platform (42) is represented by dotted lines (64), while for IP-based MPLS platform (43) and MPLS-enabled VPN platform (43a) are presented by dashed and dotted lines (63), and for VDMI platform (30) is represented by solid lines (62). To enable the differing internetworking connectivity sessions over disparate internetwork platforms and environment would require the development and assembly differing network components and protocol stacks.

The building blocks for any internetwork systems comprises of certain key groups of network protocol stacks and components, and the interactions among those key components. Fig. 6 depicts those key groups of internetwork system network components for enabling information transmission over network systems. As illustrated, there are six key types of components which are:- 1 ) network-based and application-layer programs network protocols (24), 2) application gateway interface and its related programming primitives (25), 3) transmission media means (26) for establishing connection-oriented and/or connectionless connectivity, 4) network gateway interface and its related programming primitive means (27) for interfacing to transmission medium (29), 5) network emulation gateway and its related programming primitives (28) for translation purposes to enable interoperability among differing transmission medium (29), and 6) transmission medium means (29) comprising of circuit-switching (29a), packet-switching (29c), and a hybrid of packet-switching and circuit-switching means (29b). The used of a combination of those stated relevant key network protocol stacks and components enables the creation of a plurality of internetwork platforms and internetworking environments. As illustrated in Fig. 6, said network-based and application-layer network protocol programs component (24) is comprised of a plurality of sub-components, such as http, MPEG, RTP, and the likes. Some of said sub-components are application-layer network protocol used for the transmission of information packets, such as MPEG and RTP, while others are network-based procedural protocol incorporate in application programs, such as http, smtp and the likes. The application gateway interface and its related programming primitives (25) enables said network-based application-layer programs (24) to subscribe to the underlying transmission media means (26) in the form of socket or application programming interfaces (APIs) means.

The transmission media means (26) comprises of a plurality of network protocol stack sub-components able to provision for a connectionless (64), a connection-oriented (62), or connection-oriented and connectionless internetworking (63) connectivity sessions. The use of Media Adaptation Layer (MAL) network protocol stack enables the creation of a multimode transmission media (26a) having the ability to concurrently provide for connection-oriented and/or connectionless internetworking connectivity sessions. While a stripped down MAL network protocol stack or MAL protocol stack, having its means to subscribe to shared-media transmission media and medium means been deactivated, is used to subscribe only to circuit-based transmission medium (29a) enable the creation of a connection-oriented and dedicated-media transmission media (26b). Whereas UDP, TCP, and SCTP transport protocol stacks operating over IP protocol stacks are examples of transmission media (26) sub-components enabling creation of connectionless transmission media (26c). The network gateway interface and its programming primitives (27) enables the above transmission media means (26) to subscribe to the underlying transmission medium means (29) through the used of network programming interface (NPI) means. Said network gateway interface having programming primitives (27) comprising of network control protocols for IP routers, such as ICMP, and signaling means, such as SS-7, for circuit- switching network central controllers and theirs relays of network switches.

When there is a need for transmission media's information packets to traverse over disparate transmission medium (29), from a circuit-switching (29a) to a packet-switching (29c) transmission medium and visa versed, a network emulation gateway means and its related emulation programming primitives (28) are used. A key component of said network emulation gateway means with its emulation signaling gateway (28) is the used of associative addressing, whereby an agnostic label is used to associates with disparate addressing scheme through mapping methodology for routing and address resolution. The method for said associative addressing for routing and address resolution was described in Malaysia Patent No. MY-129914-A. Said agnostic associative addressing label method was used to resolve the differing network addressing scheme issue encountered when there is a need for interconnect and interoperate over disparate packet-switching and circuit-switching network systems. The resultant multiple protocol label-switching means, using associative addressing technology (29b), was incorporated within MPLS architecture.

As for resolving the issue relating to disparity network control signaling and service subscription procedures among disparate circuit-switching and packet-switching systems, said network emulation gateway means with its related network emulation programming primitives is use to provide the translation means from one network protocol control instruction formats to another network protocol control instruction formats. Implementation of said programming emulation primitives is implemented within a network signaling emulation gateway embodiment. This is done in order to enable communication among disparate network platforms for service subscriptions by translating the differing network protocol programming primitives to enable the required network instructions is implemented among the disparate network platforms.

As known by those well-versed in the art, transmission medium means (29) comprises to three disparate schemes of routing, which are:- 1) circuit-switching methodology (29a), 2) associative address-switching, also known as label-switching methodology (29b), and 3) packet-switching methodology (29c).

In packet-switching scheme, there is no necessity for establishing any connection at the transmission medium level as information packets are dumped by connectionless and packet-switching transmission media (26c) into the interconnected transmission medium (29) devices and pipelines. The routing addresses for said packets, such as ethernet's MAC addressing and IP's source and destination addressing, are encoded within the header of the packets. The router within the transmission pipelines utilized said MAC addressing to enable destination forwarding of the information packets by referring to its Forwarding Information database (FIB). Thus, packet-switching systems (26C) uses node-centric addressing be it MAC or tag addresses.

Furthermore said packet-switching transmission media (26c) implemented non- hierarchy routing protocol scheme, such as Distance Vector Routing, Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) and Intermediate System-to Intermediate System (IS-IS) routing protocols, as known by those well-versed in the art. Said routing protocols were implemented within interconnected intelligent IP routers, having CPU capability, to process the forwarding of IP information packets from source end-node to destination end-node.

An inevitable result of using connectionless packet-switching scheme is that at the receiving end-point, all receiving end-nodes must process every incoming information packets. This inevitable characteristic is constantly exploited by malicious users for intrusive and malicious intents, including intelligent IP router systems having computing means.

As known by those skilled in the art, circuit-based and circuit-switching networks comprises of intelligent central controllers (90), having computing means, are connected to and controls a relay of special-purpose circuit-based data-link function network switches. Said circuit-switching central controllers (90) are also interconnected to other circuit- switching networks central controllers on a regionally and globally basis, through interconnected PVC paths. Said data-link network switches each having a switch fabric with a translation table. Said network switch utilized said translation table to enable the routing of information packets through its switch fabric's ingress and egress ports. Said circuit- based network system utilizes label swapping addressing scheme, such as VPI VCI, for routing purposes. In order to communicate and program connectivity sessions among the interconnected central controller systems, a interconnect network gateway with signaling means, such as CCS-7 or SS-7, is used.

At each circuit-based central control offices, said circuit-switching central controller system is interconnected to an array of back-office computers, for enabling call recording and billing purpose, using IP and shared-medium networking means. It is through said IP and shared-medium networking means that opportunity is available for malicious users to compromise said circuit-switching central controller systems even if it had implemented firewall and other security embodiments. With circuit-switching scheme, there is a need for call/connection establishment, before any end-users information packets is able to be routed through a circuit-based transmission medium (29a). Thus, a connection-oriented transmission media means (26a), subscribing to circuit-switching transmission medium means (29a), would be assigned Virtual Circuit Connection (VCC) once said call/connection establishment had been accepted. Said VCC provides dedicated connectivity session for the interconnected end- points, be it in Permanent Virtual Circuit (PVC) or Switched Virtual Circuit (SVC) basis.

Circuit-based and circuit-switching networks (29a) utilized location-centric and hierarchy numbering and routing scheme. The first set of codes signified international code, the following sets of codes are the service providers or regional area code, follows by regional end-node code, and finally the end-point code. Said routing numbers is initially used to identify those interconnected data-link nodes along the routing path to obtain available ports and channels within said node's switch fabrics for establishing several VCC among the relays of interconnected data-link nodes.

When a call/connection establishment process had been activated, said central controller will ping its relays of data-link network switches to determine the availability of ingress and egress ports and the circuit path for establishing a routing path between the required end-points nodes. Once the available routing path among interconnected nodes is known, said central controller will program the assigned data-link node's translation table by dispatching or distributing the appropriate and differing VPI/VCI addressing labels, for said differing interconnected nodes, and associate them with the appropriate differing ingress and egress ports to create the required VCC.

As information packets traversed along those interconnected data-link nodes, the VPI/VCI label would dynamically be swapped, in order for it to be accepted by the next node's ingress ports. At the egress port, the information packet header's VPI/VPI label would be replaced and encoded with a different VPI/VCI addressing so as to be able to be routed to the next connecting node and be accepted by said next connecting node's assigned ingress port.

The interconnected nodes maintain said associated port and routing addressing labels within its switch fabric's translation table until said connection is terminated. During connection termination, said central controller will reprogrammed all said interconnected nodes switch fabric translation table, associated with said VCC, to release the usage of said data-link nodes port by erasing the VPI/VCI addressing association with said associated ports within said node's translation table. Those release ports are now available for establishing new virtual circuits.

In present telephony application, there are two methods and conditions for connection termination by time-out-termination and by user-activated-termination means. With time-out-termination means, should the called party not accept the call within a specific time, the central controller will automatically activated termination process. User-activated- termination occurred when either the caller or called party terminated the call, then the central controller will be instructed to activate termination process.

The table in Fig. 7 illustrates the differing network protocol stacks and components, required for establishing internetwork platform, and their service functions and capabilities for better understanding of their roles and their interactions among differing network components. As shown, the protocol layers service functionality is in reference to OSI service functionality model and not the differing network protocol layers model.

As illustrated, IP-based, MPLS, single-mode MAL, and multimode MAL protocol stacks are classified as transmission media (26) components, due to them having network- layer functionality capability. While any physical packet-switching and circuit-switching network apparatus systems are classified as transmission medium (29) components.

Also illustrated within said table are the differing network components enabling functions, as well as, their differences with other network components for the better understanding of their application within said multimode internetwork platform and differing internetworking environments.

FIG. 8 depicts the differing paths and types of connectivity states for required network protocol components for enabling present embodiment of multimode internetwork platform (10). As shown said differing paths and types of connectivity states are supported by network routers, switches, and transceivers to enable a multimode internetworking environment, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Said multimode internetwork platform (10) supports present multimode and single-mode embodiments (26a, 26b) along with prior art shared- media embodiment (26c). As depicted, shared-media internetwork connectivity sessions and internetworking environment associated of prior arts are still applicable within said multimode internetworking environment.

What is unique and different about said multimode internetwork connectivity sessions and environment, from prior art embodiment as illustrated in Fig. 11 , is the use of Media Adaptation Layer (MAL) higher-layer network protocol (88) capable of provisioning transmission media functions and services (26). As illustrated in Fig is the absent of MAL network protocol. Unlike prior transport-layer protocols which are hot-wired to IP network protocol, MAL

(88) is not. Instead, MAL (88) has a switching/selector means able to subscribe to any transmission media or medium, depending upon what type of communication session been requested by the application-layer programs. For clarity, the differing internetwork platforms and their corresponding connection states which co-exist within said multimode internetwork platform and environment (10) shall be discussed below.

Application programs communicate in a connection-oriented and finite state. Thus its connectivity session state with underlying transport-layer network protocol through application gateway interface means (25), such as socket, are connection-oriented, as indicated by the solid lines (62). For invoking required internetworking connectivity services, network-enabled application programs having programming primitives for application gateway interface means (25) by issuing invocation primitive for the subscription of underlying transmission media (26) and transmission medium (29) means.

Examples of application-layer socket invocation primitives for the subscription of underlying transport-layer and network-layer prior art IP-based transmission media are:- Using TCP over IPv4, for application requiring reliable service:

socket (int af_family=AF_INET

int type=SOCK_STREAM

int protocohNULL

); Using UDP over IPv6, for media application requiring unreliable services:

socket (int af_family=AF_INET6

int type=SOCK_DGRAM

int protocol=NULL

);

Presently, common used prior art transport-layer protocols (TCP and UDP) are programmed to only subscribe to IP-based transmission media (26c). Since IP network- layer protocol operates in a stateless communication session, the resultant communication session using IP routing is connectionless. This is illustrated by the dotted line connectivity sessions (64, 64a) as shown in Fig. 11 and 14, through the use of IP router-based internetwork platform (42) for shared-media internetworking environment (40).

For enabling IP switching, said IP router nodes are interconnected to MPLS-enabled Label Edge Router (LER) network devices. MPLS devices enabled the creation a hybrid transmission means of packet-switching and circuit-switching transmission through it used of interconnected LER and Label Switch Router (LSR) equipments. As shown, MPLS-enabled connectivity sessions are indicated by the dashed and dotted lines (63, 63a), shown in Fig. 11 and 14, for MPLS-based and MPLS-enabled VPN internetwork platforms (43, 43a) of shared-media internetworking environment (40).

Presently, wit the use of encryption and tunneling technology, financial transactions and VPN applications are conducted using firewall technology, such as MPLS-enabled VPN (43a). Nevertheless said VPN system still operates using packet-switching IP internetwork environment. With MAL technology, it is possible to conduct secure financial transactions, still incorporating encryption and tunneling technology, but operating over end-to-end connection-oriented and circuit-switching network topology of VDMI platform, instead. Using VDMI-based platform, financial transaction information packets will not have to traverse over any packet-switching networks at all, inclusive IP networks.

Whereas MAL network protocol stacks were designed and engineered as a multimode transmission media means (88), its can also served as single-mode dedicated- media transmission media means (83). To enable and accomplish its role as a single-mode dedicated-media transmission means (83), either strip-down method or deactivation method could be implemented. With strip-down method, during installation process of MAL network protocol, the installer would select single-mode MAL choice installation. Upon selection of single-mode MAL choice installation, the installation process will not install any shared-media based network protocol stacks, such as IP-based protocols.

With the deactivation method, both virtual dedicated-media and shared-media based network protocol stack components were installed during MAL network protocol installation, however users could interactively use MAL shared-media deactivation program component to switched on and off to select for single-mode capability. Upon selection of said single- mode capability, a constraint will be programmed and imposed on MAL's transmission means to enable MAL to invocate only virtual dedicated-media based transmission medium means. For better understanding of the significant differences between shared-media and virtual dedicated-media internetwork platforms, let's viewed those platforms from the perspective of application usage. In highly security-sensitive applications where there is a crucial need for an internetwork platform which can not be easily compromised from remote sites. Said application usage internetwork platform would best be set up using single-mode MAL (83) transmission media operating over circuit-based transmission medium (29a) in a VDMI (30) platform, whereby only dedicated and private circuit-based connectivity links were established between interconnected end-nodes.

A crucial application for said single-mode MAL system platform would be at circuit- switching central controller internetwork systems. It should be noted that presently the backbone network system for all VCC network central controller systems (90) is presently operating using shared-media internetworking VPN, such as IP-enabled VPN, for enabling the back office services. Thus, the vulnerable of VCC network central controller system (90) would originate from the use of said IP system.

To mitigate said issue, single-mode MAL transmission media (83) is used to operate with said central controller (90) and its interconnected back-office systems for enabling a more secure VDMI platform (30). Said VDMI platform, uses end-to-end connection-oriented and PVC connectivity sessions to enable dedicated-media internetworking environment for their application programs. With single-mode MAL network protocol (83), it is possible for said VCC network central controller system (90) internetworking capability to be entirely established using circuit-switching internetwork backbone network system topology for its back office systems. This eliminates the network security vulnerability arising from IP system topology, due to the elimination of shared-media internetworking implementation.

Said VCC network central controller system (90) and its back office system are now operating entirely in an end-to-end, connection-oriented and circuit-switching communication environment using PVC scheme. Said transmission media (83) would enables Intranet services, for existing application programs, to operate natively among its interconnected circuit-based LAN back-office computers and servers, without the need to use or traverse over any shared-media transmission media or medium, including IP system, at all.

As illustrated in Fig. 10, network-enabled application-layer programs (80) could established VDMI internetwork platform (30), by using application gateway interface means (81) programming primitives to subscribed for the require single-mode AL transmission media (83) and the underlying circuit-based transmission medium (29a) through primitive invocations. Examples of such primitive invocations, using socket methodology for VDMI connectivity services are:-

Using TCP-like MAL SCF services over PATM, for application requiring reliable service:

socket (int af_family=AF_PATM

int type=SOCK_MAL_STREAM

int protocol=MAL_ VDMI_PA TM

);

Using UDP-like MAL SCF services over ATM AAL5, for media application requiring unreliable services:

socket (int af_family=AF_ATM_AAL5

int type=SOCK_MAL_DGRAM

int protocol=MAL_ VDMI_A TM_AAL5

);

Using RTP-like MAL SCF services over circuit-based LTE system, for media application requiring unreliable services:

socket (int af_family=AF_LTE

int type=SOCK_MAL_RTIME

int protocol MAL_ VDMI_L TE

); What the socket application gateway interface primitive does is it request for a connectivity using address family addressing for circuit-based transmission medium, the subscribed and required type of transport-layer service functions be TCP-like, UDP-like or RTP-like synchronization and coordination function (SCF), and the protocol platform be AL network protocol providing VDMI platform using the subscribed circuit-based transmission medium means (29a).

Upon receipt of the said invocation instruction, said single-mode MAL transmission media (83) would process the request and provide the subscribed transport-layer synchronization and coordination function (SCF) services for said information packets, and would subscribe to said requested circuit-switching transmission medium (29a). MAL protocol is able to do so because it has a selector means to route its information packets for processing to the subscribed transmission medium (29).

For establishing said connectivity sessions to and among circuit-based transmission medium (29a) either call/connection establishment method or pre-programmed using PVCs method to subscribe to end-to-end connection-oriented and circuit-switching scheme represented by solid-lines (62) for said single-mode MAL connectivity paths are illustrated in Fig. 12. With call/connection establishment method a call/connection establishment request must receive an acceptance instruction before any information is transfer among the interconnected end-nodes. While MAL's Control Plane manages the call/connection establishment process, MAL's Management Plane is able to maintain and manage several SVCs and PVCs among each interconnected end-nodes for fault-tolerance capability.

An e-commerce application whereby end-users would utilize a combination SMI and VDMI internetwork platform (50) would be when they subscribed for pay-per-view event or movie. The end-users would first subscribe said event or movie from the service provider Internet-based web-site. Instead of routing to Internet-based firewall web-site systems, for transaction purposes, the end-user and service provider uses multimode MAL transmission media (88) to establish a Switch Virtual Circuit-based dedicated-media connection session to said service provider's transaction server for said payment transaction to be conducted in a VDMI environment (30). What is important and key to this transaction process is that said encrypted transaction information will not flow through any IP router systems. Once the transaction had been approved, the service provider may use multimode MAL (88) or prior art protocol stacks (26c) to create shared-media connectivity sessions, operating in a SMI environment (40), to route the acquired contents to the end-users viewer programs, using IP-based transmission media (26c).

As illustrated in Fig. 10, network-enabled application-layer programs would established SMI internetwork platform (30), by using application gateway interface means programming primitives to subscribed for the require multimode MAL transmission media (88) and underlying shared-media transmission media (26c) through primitive invocations. Example of the method for subscribing to SMI connectivity services, using socket means primitive invocation is:-

Using TCP-like MAL SCF services over IPv4 service:

socket (int af_family=AF_INET

int type-SOCK_MAL_STREAM

int protocol=MAL_SMIJNET

); Upon receipt of the said invocation instruction, said MAL transmission media (83) would provide the subscribed SCF transport-layer services for said information packets, and subscribed to said requested IPv4 transmission media (26c). This would enable the end- user to use the Internet to subscribe for the required movie from said ASP public web-site. Upon obtaining a subscription from the end-user, said ASP private transaction server would utilized said multimode MAL (88) to subscribe for a SVC connectivity session with the end- user, using the end-user registered profile information.

The transaction server application would then invocate its multimode transceiver call establishment listening port and request for a connection to the subscriber end-user device. At the end-user device, upon receiving call establishment request from its transceiver's call establishment listening port, either the user or through the use of pre-approved mechanism, the end-user could accept said request and invoke a application gateway interface invocation primitive for establishing a dedicate-media connectivity session with the corresponding ASP transaction system, create a new connectivity port using, for example: socket (int af_family=AF_LTE

int type=SOCK_MAL_STREAM

int protocol=MAL_ VDMI_L TE

);

Once the transaction process had been completed, said VDMI connectivity session for said transaction-based connectivity session will be terminated as it exists from said ASP transaction server. The ASP content server would then open a connectivity port and session from its content server for a connectivity session to the approved subscriber end- device to able the downloading of contents to the subscriber using it application gateway interface invocation primitive, for example:

socket (int af_family=AF_INET6

int type=SOCK_MAL_RTIME

int protocol=MAL_SMI_INET6

);

This combination usage of VDMI and SMI platforms is illustrated in Fig. 13, MAL (88) has stately communication with application-layer programs and signaling protocol means, as depicted by the bold solid lines (62). As shown, MAL (88) is able to support stateless communication session with ICMP and IP, as illustrated by the bold dotted lines (64), to IP transmission media (26c). However, through PPP and Media Transfer Protocol (MTP), MAL is able to interface with stately transmission media systems such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System/ Long-Term Evolution (UMTS/LTE), AAL5/ATM, and the likes. In this situation, MAL (88) is able to still maintain end-to-end stately communication sessions with the underlying transmission mediums for a secure and private connectivity session, as illustrated by the bold solid lines (62).

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The invention finds utility by applications of multimedia computing and communication services for enabling discrete or concurrent interaction in a multimode internetwork environment for online applications and the likes. Inasmuch as numerous derivative applications and services can be made using the preferred embodiment, such derivative applications and services may not depart from the spirit and scope of the industrial applicability. Whereas the preferred embodiment discussed herein as multimode internetwork system and environment, it finds equal usage as single- mode internetwork system and the likes. In addition, herein describe the ability for the provision of internetworking connectivity session for private and secure multimedia communication, system controllers, command and control usages, and/or e- commerce/financial transaction applications for end-user, this does not means said applications and services shall be limited in part or whole to the described applications herein, so long as said applications required a private and non-intrusive internetwork platform and internetworking environment.

A multimode internetwork platform and environment provides end-user the choice of several differing options for enabling connectivity session based upon their requirements and benefits. The benefits and advantages are:

■ A more secure and private internetworking platform and environment;

■ Provide users within other alternative global internetworking environments beside the Internet; and

■ Provider choice for end-user to subscribed to the required transmission medium based not only on security perspective but also cost perspective; There is no intention to limit the usages and applications of the invention to this exact disclosure of industrial applicability discussed herein. Most particularly, it is contemplated that this invention can be used with any communication and internetwork platforms for electronic information connectivity and transmission Whether in wired and/or wireless medium-based network systems.

Claims

1. A multimode internetwork system and environment (10) comprising of a plurality of interconnected digital network systems having:- an end-user, through network devices and/or application programs (24), utilizes a plurality of network protocol means having application gateway interface with its programming interface primitive means (25) and network gateway interface with its network programming interface primitive means (27), is able to subscribe and establish at least an end-to-end connection-oriented and circuit-based transmission link (62) for internetworking connectivity session on end-to-end dedicated-media internetwork platform within said multimode internetwork system and environment (10);

said multimode internetwork system and environment (10), having transmission media means (26) comprising of a set of network protocol stacks able to provide at least a means for session-layer, transport-layer, network-layer and data-link network services;

said multimode internetwork system and environment (10), having transmission medium means (29) comprising of set of network protocol stacks able to provide at least a means for data-link layer and physical-layer network services and is incorporated within network-based devices;

said transmission media means (26) with related network protocols, network gateway interface with its network programming interface primitive means (27), is able to subscribe using connection or call establishment means, to negotiate and establish with underlying circuit-based and circuit-switching transmission medium means (29) for at least a end-to-end connection-oriented and circuit-based internetworking connectivity session;

said network transmission media means (26) is able to manage at least an internetworking connectivity session over said underlying circuit-switching based transmission medium means;

said transmission media network programming interface primitive means is able to negotiate for services requirements with said circuit-switching transmission medium means (29) for end-to-end, connection-oriented internetworking connectivity session; and

said end-to-end connection-oriented internetworking connectivity session is used for transmission of information.

2. A multimode internetwork system and environment (10) claimed in claim 1 , and further comprising of:

said multimode internetwork system and environment (10) utilized a plurality of network protocol stacks to operate over circuit-based and circuit-switching transmission medium means (29) and system to establish a virtual dedicated-media internetwork environment (30) for end-to-end connection-oriented and circuit-based internetworking connectivity sessions;

said circuit-based and circuit-switching network system is able to establish at least a Virtual Circuit Connection connectivity session for end-to-end connection-oriented internetwork session; and

each of said Virtual Circuit Connection sessions comprises of either a Permanent Virtual Circuit or a Switched Virtual Circuit data-link connection.

3. A multimode internetwork system and environment (10) claimed in claim 2, and further comprising of:

said end-to-end connection-oriented internetworking sessions provide by said virtual dedicated-media internetwork environment (30) is able to provide connectivity sessions for private and secure multimedia communication and internetwork environment for end-user applications; and

said virtual dedicated-media internetwork environment (30), supports a name server database having the ability to associate end-users telephony numbering with a name for ease of remembering and retrieving its corresponding telephony numbers, and said name has a prefix name of VDMI.

4. A multimode internetwork system and environment (10) comprising of a plurality of interconnected digital network systems having:- end-user, through network devices and/or application programs (24), utilizes a plurality of network protocol means, having application gateway interface with its programming interface primitive means (25) and network gateway interface with its network programming interface primitive means (27), to create two different sets of network transmission means comprising of connection-oriented and dedicated-media transmission means protocol stacks (83, 88) and connectionless and shared-media transmission means protocol stacks (84) which are used to establish two classes of internetwork connectivity environment comprising of a connection-oriented and virtual dedicated-media internetwork environment (30), and a connectionless and shared-media internetwork environment (40), respectively.

5. A multimode internetwork system and environment (10) claimed in claim 4, and further comprising of:

said multimode internetwork system and environment (10), having transmission medium means (29) comprising of set of network protocol stacks to provide at least a means for data-link layer and physical-layer network services and is incorporated within network devices, said multimode internetwork system and environment (10) having transmission media means (26) comprising of a set of network protocol stacks to provide at least a means for transport-layer, network-layer and data-link network services, and said transmission media means having two classes of network protocol stacks wherein:- a set of transmission media protocol stack means (83, 88) having means to establish a single-mode dedicated-media transmission means used by said multimode internetwork system and environment (10) specifically for establishing connection-oriented and dedicated-media internetworking connectivity session (62); and

another set of transmission media protocol stack means (84), such as TCP or UDP over IP, is used to establish single-mode shared-media transmission media used by said multimode internetwork system and environment (10) specifically for establishing connectionless and shared-media internetworking connectivity session (64).

6. A multimode internetwork system and environment (10) claimed in claim 4, and further comprising of:

said multimode internetwork system and environment (10) utilizes said specif ic- purpose dedicated-media transmission media means (83) with related network protocols and network gateway interface with its network programming interface primitive means (27), is able to subscribe, through connection or call establishment, to negotiate and establish with underlying circuit-based and circuit-switching transmission medium means (29a) for establishing end-to-end connection-oriented internetworking connectivity session (62);

said specific-purpose dedicated-media transmission media means (83) having means to manage at least an internetworking connectivity session over said underlying circuit-switching transmission medium means (29a);

said specific-purpose dedicated-media transmission media means (83) having network programming interface primitive means (27) able to negotiate for services requirements with said circuit-switching transmission medium means (29a) for end-to-end, connection-oriented connectivity session (62); and

said end-to-end connection-oriented internetworking connectivity sessions is used to provide an end-to-end virtual-dedicated-media internetwork environment (30) for private and secure multimedia communication and/or application internetwork session.

7. A multimode internetwork system and environment (10) claimed in claim 5, and further comprising of:

said multimode internetwork system and environment (10) uses packet-switching network systems with related network protocol means to establish connectionless transmission medium for shared-media internetworking sessions (64), and utilizes specific- function shared-media transmission media means (84) with related network protocols and network programming interface primitive means, to subscribe and establish with underlying connectionless packet-switching transmission medium means (29b) for establishing connectionless and shared-media transmission and internetwork environment (40);

said multimode internetwork system and environment (10) uses a combination of packet-switching and circuit-switching network systems having network emulation gateway interface with its network emulation gateway programming interface primitives and address resolution means (28) and its related network protocol means to establish a hybrid transmission medium means (85) for establishing a hybrid transmission and internetwork environment (50);

said multimode internetwork system and environment (10) enable end-user to, discretely or in combination, subscribe to and operate within the disparate shared-media and virtual dedicated-media internetwork platforms, over said plurality of transmission means and internetwork environment;

an end-user is able to subscribe to the appropriate internetwork environment based upon private and security and cost usage requirements; and

said virtual dedicated-media internetwork environment (30), supports a name server database having the ability to associate end-users telephony numbering with a name for ease of remembering and retrieving its corresponding telephony numbers, and said name has a prefix name of VDMI.

8. A multimode internetwork system and environment (10) comprising of a plurality of interconnected digital network systems having:

said multimode internetwork system and environment (10) supports a plurality of transmission medium means (29) comprising of set of network protocol stacks to provide at least a means for data-link layer and physical-layer network services means and is incorporated within network devices; and

said multimode internetwork system and environment (10) having a multimode transmission means (26) comprising of a plurality of network protocol means having application gateway interface with its programming interface primitive means (25) and network gateway interface with its network programming interface primitive means (27), having network protocol stack to provide at least a means for transport-layer, network-layer and data-link network services, is able to establish two classes of internetwork connectivity environment comprising of a connection-oriented and dedicated-media internetwork environment, and a connectionless and shared-media internetwork environment.

9. A multimode internetwork system and environment (10) claimed in claim 8, and further comprising of:

an end-user, through network device and/or application programs (24), utilizes said multimode transmission mean (88) to discretely subscribe for and establish either a end-to- end connection-oriented and circuit-switching internetwork session or a connectionless and shared-media internetwork session.

10. A multimode internetwork system and environment (10) claimed in claim 9, and further comprising of:

an end-user, through network device and/or application programs (24), utilizes said multimode transmission mean (88) to concurrently and in combination of to subscribe for and establish end-to-end connection-oriented and circuit-switching internetwork session and connectionless and shared-media internetwork session.

11. A multimode internetwork system and environment (10) claimed in claim 10, and further comprising of:

said multimode transmission means (88) is able to communicate directly to circuit- switching transmission medium means (29a); and

said multimode transmission means is able to communicate directly to communicate directly to connectionless and shared-media transmission media means (84).

12. A multimode internetwork system and environment (10) claimed in claim 11 , and further comprising of:

said multimode internetwork system and environment (10) utilizes said multimode transmission means (88) with related network protocols and network gateway interface with its network programming interface primitive means (25) is able to subscribe, through connection establishment, to negotiate and establish with underlying circuit-based and circuit-switching transmission medium means (29a) for establishing end-to-end connection- oriented internetworking connectivity session;

said multimode transmission means (88) having means to manage at least an internetworking connectivity session over said underlying circuit-switching transmission medium means (29a);

said multimode transmission means (88) having network programming interface primitive means to negotiate for services requirements with said circuit-switching transmission medium means (29a) for end-to-end, connection-oriented and circuit-switching connectivity session (62); and

said end-to-end connection-oriented internetworking sessions is used to provide an end-to-end virtual-dedicated-media internetwork environment (30) for private and secure multimedia communication and/or application internetwork session.

13. A multimode internetwork system and environment (10) claimed in claim 12, and further comprising of:

said multimode transmission means (88) having network programming interface primitive means (27) to subscribe and establish with underlying connectionless packet- switching transmission medium means (29b) for establishing connectionless and shared- media transmission and internetwork environment (40);

said multimode internetwork system and environment (10) uses a combination of packet-switching and circuit-switching network systems having network emulation gateway interface means (28) with its network emulation gateway programming interface primitives and address resolution means and its related network protocol means to establish a hybrid transmission medium means (85) for establishing a hybrid transmission and internetwork environment (50);

said multimode internetwork system and environment (10) enable end-user, to discretely or in a combination of, subscribe to and operate within the disparate shared- media and virtual dedicated-media internetwork platforms, over said plurality of network transmission means and internetwork environment; an end-user is able to subscribe to the appropriate internetwork environment based upon private and security, or cost requirement; and

said virtual dedicated-media internetwork environment (30), supports a name server database having the ability to associate end-users telephony numbering with a name for ease of remembering and retrieving its corresponding telephony numbers, and said name has a prefix name of VDMI.