Optimized path maximum transmission unit discovery

1. A method for path maximum transmission unit (PMTU) discovery of a network path in a network, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving a packet at a node along a network path between a source node and a destination node;

comparing a maximum transmit unit (MTU) size of a next hop along the network path with the size of the packet; and

responsive to the MTU size of the next hop along the network path being less than the size of the packet and identifying a “do not fragment” (DF) flag being set to not allow fragmentation:

responsive to identifying a recycled (RC) flag being set to identify that a portion of the packet is reserved for PMTU size, and a PMTU bit being set to positive:

truncating the packet to the MTU size of the next hop;

storing the MTU size in the portion of the packet reserved for PMTU size; and

forwarding the packet to the next hop; and

responsive to receiving a packet at a destination node in the network path:

generating a reply packet by copying the packet and changing a source address and a destination address and transmitting the reply packet to the source node.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the packet that is reserved for PMTU size is in an Identification (ID) field of an IPv4 header.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the PMTU bit is in an Identification (ID) field of an IPv4 header.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the RC flag is in a control flags field of an IP flags field of an IPv4 header.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

responsive to not identifying the RC flag being set to identify that the portion of the packet is reserved for PMTU size and not identifying the PMTU bit being set to positive:

generating an error message; and

transmitting the error message including the MTU size to the source node.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the error message is an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) error message of IPv4.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packet is an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) packet of IPv4.

8. A method for path maximum transmission unit (PMTU) discovery of a network path between a source node and a destination node in a network, the method comprising:

identifying in an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) packet that the ICMP packet can be used to support PMTU discovery;

responsive to a node along the network path identifying that the ICMP packet supports MTU size discovery:

performing PMTU discovery without requiring an error packet being sent to the source node if a next hop along the network path has a MTU size less than the ICMP packet size; and

forwarding the ICMP packet.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the ICMP packet has a “do not fragment” (DF) flag being set to not allow fragmentation, a recycled (RC) flag being set to identify that a portion of the ICMP packet is reserved for PMTU size, and a PMTU bit being set to positive.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the node is configured to identify that the ICMP packet has the DF flag being set to not allow fragmentation, the RC flag being set to identify that the portion of the ICMP packet is reserved for PMTU size, and the PMTU bit being set to positive.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the PMTU bit is in an Identification (ID) field of an IPv4 header.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the RC flag is in a control flags field of an IP Flags field of an IPv4 header.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of performing PMTU discovery comprises:

truncating the ICMP packet to the MTU size;

storing the MTU size in a portion of the ICMP packet reserved for PMTU size; and

forwarding the ICMP packet to a next hop.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the portion of the ICMP packet that is reserved for PMTU size is in an Identification (ID) field of an IPv4 header.

15. A method for path maximum transmission unit (PMTU) discovery of a network path between a source node and a destination node in a network, the method comprising:

responsive to a node along the network path that is not the destination node receiving a packet:

identifying in the packet that the packet can be used to support PMTU discovery; and

responsive to the node identifying that the packet supports MTU size discovery:

performing PMTU discovery without requiring an error packet being sent to the source node if a next hop along the network path has a MTU size less than the packet size; and

forwarding the packet; and

responsive to the node receiving the packet being the destination node:

identifying in the packet that the packet can be used to support PMTU discovery; and

generating a reply packet that includes the MTU size in an Identification (ID) field and transmitting the reply packet to the source node.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of performing PMTU discover comprises:

truncating the packet to the MTU size;

storing the MTU size in a portion of the packet reserved for PMTU size; and

forwarding the packet.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the packet is a reply packet and the method further comprises:

responsive to the reply packet being received by a source node:

examining a PMTU flag and a recycle (RC) flag of the reply packet; and

responsive to the PMTU flag and the RC flag of the reply being set, retrieving the PMTU data from the reply packet and recording the PMTU data as the PMTU of the network path.