Proposal for a connection-oriented internetwork protocol

Current OSI approaches to internetworking occur at the network layer, and can be split into two main divisions [1,2]: connectionless internetwork protocol intended for use over dissimilar networks, and relay approaches intended for interconnection of networks offering identical, reliable, connection-oriented service.

This article briefly introduces these two approaches and discusses the need for a somewhat different approach: a connection-oriented internetwork protocol. I discuss the reasons for defining such a protocol, and considering these reasons, I propose a general design. I conclude that the present connectionless internetwork protocol should be augmented by a complementary connection-oriented protocol of a much simpler design than traditional connection-oriented protocols.