Intelligent network path probing

1 . A method, comprising:

obtaining, by a device, historical path probing data for a network over time from a path probing service that sends synthetic probes using a plurality of different protocols along one or more network paths used by traffic of at least one application in a network, wherein the synthetic probes ose traffic characteristics of the traffic of the at least one application;

identifying, by the device, a configuration change in the network based on updated path probing data obtained by the path probing service from the network;

predicting, by the device in response to the configuration change, one or more of the plurality of different protocols and configurations of the one or more of the plurality of different protocols that would alone or in combination produce a most complete and accurate hop-by-hop view of the one or more network paths based at least in part on the historical path probing data;

selecting, by the device and based on the predicting, one or more particular protocols from among the plurality of different protocols and configurations of the one or more particular protocols to use to probe a particular path for the at least one application for continued probing based on predicting that the one or more particular protocols alone or in combination produce a most complete and accurate hop-by-hop view of the particular path from among the plurality of different protocols; and

configuring, by the device, the path probing service to probe the particular path using the one or more particular protocols and the traffic characteristics of the traffic of the at least one application for continued probing responsive to the configuration change in the network.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the synthetic probes include Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) probes.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the synthetic probes use a plurality of different Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) options.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the path probing service sends the synthetic probes towards a target networking entity or target webserver.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the configuration change in the network comprises:

determining that a number of hops measured along the particular path by the path probing service has decreased over time.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the path probing service uses different combinations of the plurality of different protocols for the synthetic probes in different geographic regions.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular path comprises a network tunnel.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration change is made to the particular path.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular path is associated with an online application accessible via the particular path.

10 . An apparatus, comprising:

one or more network interfaces;

a processor coupled to the one or more network interfaces and configured to execute one or more processes; and

a memory configured to store a process that is executable by the processor, the process when executed configured to:

obtain historical path probing data for a network over time from a path probing service that sends synthetic probes using a plurality of different protocols along one or more network paths used by traffic of at least one application in a network, wherein the synthetic probes use traffic characteristics of the traffic of the at least one application:

identify a configuration change in the network based on updated path probing data obtained by the path probing service from the network;

predict, in response to the configuration change, one or more of the plurality of different protocols and configurations of the one or more of the plurality of different protocols that would alone or in combination produce a most complete and accurate hop-by-hop view of the one or more network paths based at least in part on the historical path probing data;

select, based on the predicting, a one or more particular protocols from among the plurality of different protocols and configurations of the one or more particular protocols to use to probe a particular path for the at least one application for continued probing based on predicting that the one or more particular protocols alone or in combination produce a most complete and accurate hop-by-hop view of the particular path from among the plurality of different protocols; and

configure the path probing service to probe the particular path using the one or more particular protocols and the traffic characteristics of the traffic of the at least one application for continued probing responsive to the configuration change in the network.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the synthetic probes include Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) probes.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the synthetic probes use a plurality of different Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) options.

13 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the path probing service sends the synthetic probes towards a target networking entity or target webserver.

14 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus identifies the configuration change in the network by:

determining that a number of hops measured along the particular path by the path probing service has decreased over time.

15 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the path probing service uses different combinations of the plurality of different protocols for the synthetic probes in different geographic regions.

16 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the particular path comprises a network tunnel.

17 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the configuration change is made to the particular path.

18 . A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing program instructions that cause a device to execute a process comprising:

obtaining, by the device, historical path probing data for a network over time from a path probing service that sends synthetic probes using a plurality of different protocols along one or more network paths used by traffic of at least one application in a network, wherein the synthetic probes use traffic characteristics of the traffic of the at least one application;

identifying, by the device, a configuration change in the network based on updated path probing data obtained by the path probing service from the network;

predicting, by the device in response to the configuration change, one or more of the plurality of different protocols and configurations of the one or more of the plurality of different protocols that would alone or in combination produce a most complete and accurate hop-by-hop view of the one or more network paths based at least in part on the historical path probing data;

selecting, by the device and based on the predicting, a one or more particular protocols from among the plurality of different protocols and configurations of the one or more particular protocols to use to probe a particular path for the at least one application for continued probing based on predicting that the one or more particular protocols alone or in combination produce a most complete and accurate hop-by-hop view of the particular path from among the plurality of different protocols; and

configuring, by the device, the path probing service to probe the particular path using the one or more particular protocols and the traffic characteristics of the traffic of the at least one application for continued probing responsive to the configuration change in the network.