Packet descriptor trace indicators
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- receiving user-specified criteria for a packet;
creating, based on the user-specified criteria, the packet at a network device;
storing the packet at a memory location in the network device;
creating a packet descriptor based on the packet, the packet descriptor being separate from the packet and including a pointer to the memory location, the packet descriptor also storing routing information specifying a source and destination for the packet;
setting a trace indicator in the packet descriptor; and
responsive to the setting of the trace indicator and while the packet is stored in the network device, tracing an actual path within the network device of the packet descriptor at least in part by making plural log entries indicating locations within the network device of the packet descriptor and indicating respective times the packet descriptor was at the locations within the network device, each log entry of the plural log entries specifying a respective location of the locations along the actual path within the network device at which a presence of the packet descriptor was detected.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques are provided to trace packet descriptors. A received packet may be identified. A packet descriptor associated with the received packet may be created. A trace indicator in the packet descriptor may be set. The presence of a packet descriptor with the trace indicator set may be logged by a detector.
44 Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
receiving user-specified criteria for a packet; creating, based on the user-specified criteria, the packet at a network device; storing the packet at a memory location in the network device; creating a packet descriptor based on the packet, the packet descriptor being separate from the packet and including a pointer to the memory location, the packet descriptor also storing routing information specifying a source and destination for the packet; setting a trace indicator in the packet descriptor; and responsive to the setting of the trace indicator and while the packet is stored in the network device, tracing an actual path within the network device of the packet descriptor at least in part by making plural log entries indicating locations within the network device of the packet descriptor and indicating respective times the packet descriptor was at the locations within the network device, each log entry of the plural log entries specifying a respective location of the locations along the actual path within the network device at which a presence of the packet descriptor was detected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A network device comprising:
-
a memory to store a packet at a memory location; at least one hardware processor couple to the memory to; create the packet based on user-specified criteria; create a packet descriptor based on the packet and set a trace indicator within the packet descriptor, the packet descriptor being separate from the packet and including a pointer to the memory location of the packet, the packet descriptor including routing information specifying a source and a destination for the packet; and trace, while the packet is stored in the memory location, an actual path within the network device of the packet descriptor at least in part by making plural log entries indicating locations within the network device of the packet descriptor and indicating respective times the packet descriptor was at the locations within the network device, each log entry of the plural log entries specifying a respective location of the locations along the actual path within the network device at which a presence of the packet descriptor was detected. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
-
-
14. A method comprising:
-
identifying a packet to trace, wherein the identifying comprises generating, within a network device, the packet based on user-specified criteria; setting a trace indicator in a packet descriptor associated with the packet, the packet descriptor being separate from the packet; tracing a path within the network device of the packet descriptor to an output queue of an output port through a plurality of different locations within the network device based on the trace indicator, the tracing involving making log entries, each log entry specifying a respective location within the network device and a respective time that the packet descriptor was located at the respective location; and outputting the packet from the output port. - View Dependent Claims (15)
-
Specification