Network packet tracing
First Claim
1. A networking device, comprising:
- a plurality of physical network interfaces; and
a packet processor, configured to;
receive a network packet via one of the physical network interfaces;
evaluate the network packet to determine that tracing is enabled for the network packet;
generate trace information that identifies the packet processor as a location in a route traversed by the network packet;
insert the trace information into the network packet to generate a modified network packet, wherein the insertion is performed such that the trace information that is inserted into the network packet is ignored when a forwarding decision is determined by the packet processor for the modified network packet;
make a forwarding decision for the modified network packet that ignores the inserted trace information; and
send the modified network packet via one of the physical interfaces according to the forwarding decision.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Network packet tracing may be implemented on packet processors or other devices that perform packet processing. As network packets are received, a determination may be made as to whether tracing is enabled for the network packets. For those network packets with tracing enabled, trace information may be generated and the network packets modified to include the trace information such that forwarding decisions for the network packets ignore the trace information. Trace information indicate a packet processor as a location in a route traversed by the network packets and may include ingress and egress timestamps. Forwarding decisions may then be made and the network packets sent according to the forwarding decisions. Tracing may be enabled or disabled by packet processors for individual network packets. Trace information may also be truncated at a packet processor.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A networking device, comprising:
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a plurality of physical network interfaces; and a packet processor, configured to; receive a network packet via one of the physical network interfaces; evaluate the network packet to determine that tracing is enabled for the network packet; generate trace information that identifies the packet processor as a location in a route traversed by the network packet; insert the trace information into the network packet to generate a modified network packet, wherein the insertion is performed such that the trace information that is inserted into the network packet is ignored when a forwarding decision is determined by the packet processor for the modified network packet; make a forwarding decision for the modified network packet that ignores the inserted trace information; and send the modified network packet via one of the physical interfaces according to the forwarding decision. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method, comprising:
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receiving, at a packet processor, a network packet; determining, by the packet processor, that tracing is enabled for the network packet; in response to determining that tracing is enabled for the network packet; modifying, by the packet processor, the network packet to include trace information that identifies the packet processor as a location in a route traversed by the network packet, wherein the modification of the network packet is performed such that the trace information that is included in the network packet is ignored when determining by the packet processor a forwarding decision for the modified network packet; determining, by the packet processor, a forwarding decision for the modified network packet that ignores the inserted trace information; and sending, by the packet processor, the modified network packet according to the forwarding decision. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system, comprising:
a device configured to perform packet processing, the device comprising; one or more network interfaces configured to transmit and receive packets via a network connection to the device; and a packet processing pipeline, configured to; receive a network packet via one of the one or more network interfaces; evaluate the network packet to determine that tracing is enabled for the network packet; modify the network packet to include trace information that identifies the device as a location in a route traversed by the network packet, wherein the modification of the network packet is performed such that the trace information that is included in the network packet is ignored when making a forwarding decision by the packet processing pipeline for the modified network packet; make a forwarding decision for the modified network packet that ignores the inserted trace information; and send the modified network packet according to the forwarding decision via one of the network interfaces. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
Specification