Segmented ICMP Echo Measurement for Path RTT Precision
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining issues in data transmission paths, such as traceroute, are not reliable for intermittent impairments and fail to provide detailed round trip times (RTTs) between each device, making it difficult to identify which link is causing a problem between a source and destination device.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a control message that causes each device in the path to issue ICMP echo requests to the next device, with the responses consolidated and returned to the source, providing detailed RTTs between each device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional traceroute methods are used to determine transmission path issues, then the method is simple to implement, but it fails to provide detailed round trip times between each device and is unreliable for intermittent impairments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the overall transmission path measurement into individual device-to-next-device measurements. Each device in the path performs separate ICMP echo requests to its immediate next device, capturing granular RTT data for each segment rather than only end-to-end measurements. This segmentation enables precise identification of which specific link causes transmission delays or failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary devices (the intermediate devices in the transmission path) that actively participate in measurements by performing local ICMP echo requests to their next device. These intermediaries generate and return consolidated measurement data to the source device, enabling detailed path analysis without requiring modification of the source device's core functionality.
2Reliability
If detailed RTT measurements between each device are implemented, then problem identification accuracy is improved, but the measurement process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Each intermediate device performs self-service measurements by autonomously issuing ICMP echo requests to its next device and capturing the RTT data. This self-service approach distributes the measurement burden across all devices in the path, with each device independently generating its own measurement data, which is then consolidated and returned to the source.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where each intermediate device measures RTT to its next device, records the results, and feeds this information back to the source device through consolidated response messages. This feedback loop enables the source device to receive comprehensive RTT data from all path segments, allowing reliable identification of problematic links based on accumulated measurement evidence.
Data Source
AI summary
A control message is generated by a source device, the control message including an indication that least one intermediate device in a path of devices between the source device and a destination device is to send a plurality of ICMP echo requests to a next device in the path of devices. The source device sends, to the at least one intermediate device, the control message. The source device receives, from the at least one intermediate device, a control message response originating from the destination device, the control message response comprising, for each respective intermediate device of the at least one intermediate device, round trip time information derived from a plurality of ICMP echo requests issued by the respective intermediate device to a corresponding next device in the path of devices.