Providing flood tree traversal utilizing a customized probe packet for a network device

1 . A method, comprising:

receiving, by a network device, parameters for a probe packet;

generating, by the network device, the probe packet based on the parameters;

providing, by the network device, the probe packet to multiple ingress packet forwarding components of the network device;

generating, by the network device, probe packet copies at the multiple ingress packet forwarding components, wherein each of the multiple ingress packet forwarding components is programmed with a filter that causes each of the multiple ingress packet forwarding components to generate ingress route metadata for the probe packet copies;

generating, by the network device, the ingress route metadata via the filters provided in the multiple ingress packet forwarding components;

providing, by the network device, the probe packet copies to multiple egress packet forwarding components of the network device;

generating, by the network device, egress route metadata for the probe packet copies via filters provided in the multiple egress packet forwarding components;

providing, by the network device, the probe packet copies, the ingress route metadata, and the egress route metadata to an application;

utilizing, by the network device, the application to generate a report based on the probe packet copies, the ingress route metadata, and the egress route metadata; and

providing, by the network device, the report for analysis.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameters include one or more of:

a parameter identifying an interface of the network device for receiving the probe packet,

a parameter identifying source and destination Internet protocol addresses,

a parameter identifying source and destination media access control addresses,

a parameter identifying virtual local area network tag information,

a parameter identifying a source and destination user datagram protocol port, or

a parameter identifying a key to classify the ingress route metadata and the egress route metadata.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the filters provided in the multiple ingress packet forwarding components and in the multiple egress packet forwarding components is one of a firewall filter or a microcode modification.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ingress route metadata includes data identifying one or more of:

a table used for route lookup for the probe packet copies,

a list of next-hop information,

a list of the multiple egress packet forwarding components,

details of a downstream fabric stream,

a hash result, or

details of drops associated with the probe packet copies.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the egress route metadata includes data identifying one or more of:

details of a downstream fabric stream,

a hash result, or

details of drops associated with the probe packet copies.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

utilizing the application to build a route topology associated with the probe packet based on the ingress route metadata and the egress route metadata,

wherein the report includes the route topology.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

utilizing the application and the probe packet copies to identify forwarding results associated with the multiple egress packet forwarding components,

wherein the report includes the forwarding results.

8 . A network device, comprising:

one or more memories; and

one or more processors to:

receive parameters for a probe packet;

generate the probe packet based on the parameters;

provide the probe packet to multiple ingress packet forwarding components of the network device;

generate probe packet copies at the multiple ingress packet forwarding components, wherein each of the multiple ingress packet forwarding components is programmed with a filter that causes each of the multiple ingress packet forwarding components to generate ingress route metadata for the probe packet copies;

generate the ingress route metadata via the filters provided in the multiple ingress packet forwarding components;

provide the probe packet copies to multiple egress packet forwarding components of the network device;

generate egress route metadata for the probe packet copies via filters provided in the multiple egress packet forwarding components,

wherein each of the filters provided in the multiple ingress packet forwarding components and in the multiple egress packet forwarding components is one of a firewall filter or a microcode modification;

provide the probe packet copies, the ingress route metadata, and the egress route metadata to an application;

utilize the application to generate a report based on the probe packet copies, the ingress route metadata, and the egress route metadata; and

provide the report for analysis.

9 . The network device of claim 8 , wherein the report includes a route topology associated with the probe packet and forwarding results associated with the multiple egress packet forwarding components.

10 . The network device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors, to provide the report for analysis, are to:

provide the report for display to a user device.

11 . The network device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors, to provide the probe packet to the multiple ingress packet forwarding components, are to:

define an entry point of the network device for the probe packet;

receive the probe packet at the entry point of the network device; and

provide the probe packet from the entry point to the multiple ingress packet forwarding components.

12 . The network device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors, to provide the probe packet copies, the ingress route metadata, and the egress route metadata to the application, are to:

utilize the filters provided in the multiple ingress packet forwarding components and provided in the multiple egress packet forwarding components to forward the ingress route metadata and the egress route metadata to the application.

13 . The network device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors, to utilize the application to generate the report based on the probe packet copies, the ingress route metadata, and the egress route metadata, are to:

determine whether a timer has expired; and

utilize the application to generate the report based on determining that the timer has expired.

14 . The network device of claim 8 , wherein the analysis includes debugging the network device.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a network device, cause the network device to:

receive parameters for a probe packet;

generate the probe packet based on the parameters;

provide the probe packet to multiple ingress packet forwarding components of the network device;

generate probe packet copies at the multiple ingress packet forwarding components, wherein each of the multiple ingress packet forwarding components is programmed with a filter that causes each of the multiple ingress packet forwarding components to generate ingress route metadata for the probe packet copies;

generate the ingress route metadata via the filters provided in the multiple ingress packet forwarding components;

provide the probe packet copies to multiple egress packet forwarding components of the network device;

generate egress route metadata for the probe packet copies via filters provided in the multiple egress packet forwarding components;

provide the probe packet copies, the ingress route metadata, and the egress route metadata to an application;

utilize the application to generate a report based on the probe packet copies, the ingress route metadata, and the egress route metadata; and

utilize the report to debug the network device.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the parameters include one or more of:

a parameter identifying an interface of the network device for receiving the probe packet,

a parameter identifying source and destination Internet protocol addresses,

a parameter identifying source and destination media access control addresses,

a parameter identifying virtual local area network tag information,

a parameter identifying a source and destination user datagram protocol port, or

a parameter identifying a key to classify the ingress route metadata and the egress route metadata.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the network device to:

utilize the application to build a route topology associated with the probe packet based on the ingress route metadata and the egress route metadata,

wherein the report includes the route topology.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the network device to:

utilize the application and the probe packet copies to identify forwarding results associated with the multiple egress packet forwarding components,

wherein the report includes the forwarding results.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the network device to provide the probe packet to the multiple ingress packet forwarding components, cause the network device to:

define an entry point of the network device for the probe packet;

receive the probe packet at the entry point of the network device; and

provide the probe packet from the entry point to the multiple ingress packet forwarding components.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the network device to provide the probe packet copies, the ingress route metadata, and the egress route metadata to the application, cause the network device to:

utilize the filters provided in the multiple ingress packet forwarding components and provided in the multiple egress packet forwarding components to forward the ingress route metadata and the egress route metadata to the application.