IP Library Granted Patent US 9,774,516
Granted Patent B2
US 9,774,516 · App. 13/604,785 · Granted Sep 26, 2017

Trace route command execution from a virtualized environment

Inventors: William O. Pollnow (Shoreview, MN); Allyn Smith (Shoreview, MN); James R. Heit (Vadnais Heights, MN); Dennis Stroik (Columbia Heights, MN)
Assignee: Unisys Corporation
H04L43/12H04L43/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,774,516
App. No.
13/604,785
Granted
Sep 26, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A traceroute command may be used to diagnose a computer network or provide additional information regarding a computer network. A traceroute command may be provided to applications executing within a virtualized environment by allowing commands to be passed from the virtualized environment to a host operating system through a network interface. The traceroute command may be executed by the host operating system, and network information returned to the application in the virtualized environment.

Claims (39)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, in a virtualized environment, a user command to execute a trace route in the virtualized environment, wherein the user command includes a maximum number of hops, a source host address and a destination host address;

building, in the virtualized environment, a trace route command string corresponding to the user command;

transmitting the trace route command string to a network interface for execution in a host environment outside of the virtualized environment;

executing the trace route command string in the host environment outside of the virtualized environment;

receiving, from the host environment outside of the virtualized environment, results of the trace route command string; and

outputting, in the virtualized environment, the results of the trace route command string, wherein the results of the trace route command string includes the source host address, the destination host address and the maximum number of hops that are used to construct a network path between a source host and a destination host.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtualized environment allows a user to set a maximum number of probes in the user command.

3. The method of claim 1 , in which executing the trace route command string comprises transmitting a plurality of probe packets.

4. The method of claim 3 , further including increasing time to live (TTL) values, if the maximum number of hops has not been reached.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a completion event from the network interface when the trace route is complete.

6. The method of claim 4 , in which the time to live (TTL) values begin at zero.

7. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

code to receive, in a virtualized environment, a user command to execute a trace route in the virtualized environment, wherein the user command includes a maximum number of hops, a source host address and a destination host address;

code to build, in the virtualized environment, a trace route command string corresponding to the user command;

code to transmit the trace route command string to a network interface for execution in a host environment outside of the virtualized environment;

code to execute the trace route command string in the host environment outside of the virtualized environment;

code to receive, from the host environment outside of the virtualized

environment, results of the trace route command string; and

code to output, in the virtualized environment, the results of the trace route command string, wherein the results of the trace route command string includes the source host address, the destination host address and the maximum number of hops that are used to construct a network path between a source host and a destination host.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the virtualized environment allows a user to set a maximum number of probes in the user command.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 , in which the medium further comprises code to transmit a plurality of probe packets.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , in which the medium further comprises code to increase time to live (TTL) values, if the maximum number of hops has not been reached.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 , in which the medium further comprises code to receive a completion event from the network interface when the trace route is complete.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 , in which the time to live (TTL) values begin at zero.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, in which the processor is configured:

to receive, in a virtualized environment, a user command to execute a trace route in the virtualized environment, wherein the user command includes a maximum number of hops, a source host address and a destination host address;

to build, in the virtualized environment, a trace route command string corresponding to the user command;

to transmit the trace route command string to a network interface for execution in a host environment outside of the virtualized environment:

to execute the trace route command string in the host environment outside of the virtualized environment;

to receive, from the host environment outside of the virtualized environment, results of the trace route command string; and

to output, in the virtualized environment, the results of the trace route command string, wherein the results of the trace route command string includes the source host address, the destination host address and the maximum number of hops that are used to construct a network path between a source host and a destination host.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the virtualized environment allows a user to set a maximum number of probes in the user command.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , in which the processor is further configured to increase time to live (TTL) values, if the maximum number of hops has not been reached.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , in which the processor is further configured to receive a completion event from the network interface when the trace route is complete.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , in which the time to live (TTL) values begin at zero.

Assignments (8)
AMENDED AND RESTATED PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 27, 2025
From: UNISYS CORPORATION; UNISYS HOLDING CORPORATION; UNISYS NPL, INC.; UNISYS AP INVESTMENT COMPANY I
To: COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL TRUSTEE
Reel/Frame 071759/0527 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 28, 2020
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: UNISYS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 054231/0496 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 12, 2017
From: UNISYS CORPORATION
To: WELLS FARGO BANK NA
Reel/Frame 043852/0276 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 6, 2017
From: UNISYS CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 044144/0081 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 27, 2017
From: UNISYS CORPORATION
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL TRUSTEE
Reel/Frame 042354/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 21, 2015
From: POLLNOW, WILLIAM O; SMITH, ALLYN D; HEIT, JAMES R; STROIK, DENNIS
To: UNISYS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 036910/0936 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 26, 2013
From: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, AS COLLATERAL TRUSTEE
To: UNISYS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 030082/0545 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 15, 2013
From: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY
To: UNISYS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 030004/0619 →
Continuity (1)
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