Traceroute

1. A method for measuring a resident time of a probe message in a first network node included in a network path, the probe message provided with a Time-To-Live value, the method comprising:

registering a receive timestamp of the probe message upon receipt of the probe message detected by one of a plurality of protocol stacks in the first network node;

writing the receive timestamp to a dedicated field within the probe message;

checking the Time-To-Live value of the probe message;

decrementing the Time-To-Live value by one if the Time-To-Live value is neither one nor null;

if the Time-To-Live value is equal to one, then

registering a transmit timestamp of the probe message, the transmit timestamp corresponding to a time instant at which the probe message leaves the one of the plurality of protocol stacks for transmission,

computing the resident time of the probe message within the first network node by subtracting the receive timestamp from the transmit timestamp,

writing the computed resident time to the dedicated field within the probe message,

determining if an error exists in the probe message, the error corresponding to failing to decrement the TTL value or having set at least one flag in the probe message in error by a second network node prior to forwarding of the probe message from the second network node to the first network node,

changing a value of the at least one flag within the probe message in order to protect the computed resident time from being over written by subsequent actions on the probe message if the error does not exist, and

sending, to the second network node, a first timestamp reply message with an outgoing resident time field set to null and the at least one flag set to one, if the error exists; and

if the Time-To-Live value is equal to null, then

sending a second timestamp reply message to the second network node when the first network node is a destination node, the second timestamp reply message including an outgoing resident time field, and

sending an error message to the second network node, the error message including a Time-to-Live Exceed message when the first network node is not the destination node.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein

if the Time-To-Live value is equal to one, the method further includes,

creating a probe reply message by copying (i) the computed resident time, (ii) an associated value of the at least one flag of the probe message, and (iii) a probe message identifier from the probe message, and

sending the created probe reply message back towards an originator of the probe message.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the probe message further comprises:

a first field configured to carry the computed resident time within a traversed network node in a first communication direction; and

a placeholder configured to log the receive timestamp from an input port of the traversed network node,

wherein the at least one flag includes a first flag, the first flag configured to prevent over-writing of the first field by subsequent actions on the probe message.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the probe message further comprises:

a second field configured to carry the resident time of the probe message within the traversed network node in a second communication direction, the second communication direction being opposite to the first communication direction,

wherein the at least one flag further includes a second flag, the second flag configured to prevent over-writing of the second field by subsequent actions on the probe message.

5. The method claim 3 , wherein information on the first communication direction for the traversed network node is indicated by the first field within the probe message.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the probe message is a modified Internet Control Message Protocol message.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the probe message is a modified Operation Administration Maintenance message.

8. A first network node comprising:

a memory having computer readable instructions stored thereon; and

at least one processor configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to,

register a receive timestamp of a probe message upon receipt of the probe message detected by one of a plurality of protocol stacks in a first network node,

write the receive timestamp to a dedicated field within the probe message,

check a Time-To-Live value of the probe message,

decrement the Time-To-Live value by one if the Time-To-Live value is neither one nor null,

if the Time-To-Live value is equal to one, then

register a transmit timestamp of the probe message, the transmit timestamp corresponding to a time instant at which the probe message leaves the one of the plurality of protocol stacks for transmission,

compute a resident time of the probe message within the first network node by subtracting the receive timestamp from the transmit timestamp,

write the computed resident time of the probe message to the dedicated field within the probe message,

determine if an error exists in the probe message, the error corresponding to failing to decrement the TTL value or having set at least one flag in the probe message in error by a second network node prior to forwarding of the probe message from the second network node to the first network node,

change a value of the at least one flag within the probe message in order to protect the computed resident time from being over written by subsequent actions on the probe message if the error does not exist,

send, to the second network node, a first timestamp reply message with an outgoing resident time field set to null and the at least one flag set to one, if the error exists,

if the Time-To-Live value is equal to null, then

send a second timestamp reply message to the second network node when the first network node is a destination node, the second timestamp reply message including an outgoing resident time field, and

send an error message to the second network node, the error message including a Time-to-Live Exceed message when the first network node is not the destination node.

9. The first network node of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to,

create a probe reply message, the probe reply message includes information copied from the probe message.

10. The first network node of claim 9 , wherein the copied information includes the computed resident time and an identifier of the probe message.

11. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the computer-readable instructions when executed by at least one processor configure the at least one processor to, perform the method of claim 1 .

12. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

inputting a destination address of the first network node.

13. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

inputting a Quality of Service or a Class of Service specification for the probe message and a probe reply message, the probe reply message being associated with the probe message.

14. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

inputting an indication of a one-way mode or a two-way mode.

15. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

displaying a one-way or a two-way probe message resident time in the first network node within the network path traversed by the probe message, and a probe reply message, the probe reply message being associated with the probe message.