Per-Hop Network Diagnostics via IPv6 Destination Options
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional network debugging tools like Traceroute and Ping do not provide adequate per-hop information, such as host names, autonomous system numbers, and link utilization, which can lead to misinterpretation of results, especially with the transition to IPv6 and potential DNS errors.
Innovation Solution
A system that sends data packets with destination options headers to query and receive information from each network hop, including host names, autonomous system numbers, and link utilization, using the destination options header in IPv6 packets to provide detailed per-hop information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional Traceroute and Ping tools are used to obtain network path information, then basic connectivity information can be obtained, but detailed per-hop information such as host names, autonomous system numbers, and link utilization is not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (destination options header in IPv6 packets) that mediates between the traceroute tool and network nodes to extract detailed per-hop information. This intermediary structure allows the tool to obtain host names, autonomous system numbers, and link utilization data without requiring complex custom protocols or modifications to network nodes.
2Reliability
If DNS entries are used to obtain host names for network hops, then host name information can be retrieved, but errors or missing entries in DNS may lead to misinterpretation of results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the traceroute tool sends queries to network nodes and receives responses containing authoritative host name information from the nodes themselves. This feedback loop allows verification and correction of DNS entries, ensuring that the host names displayed are accurate and directly from the source rather than potentially erroneous DNS records.
3Measurement precision
If detailed per-hop information is obtained by querying each network node, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but the number of packets and queries required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple information retrieval operations into a single packet exchange. By incorporating destination options headers that request multiple types of information (host name, autonomous system number, link utilization) in one query, the tool obtains comprehensive per-hop diagnostic data without requiring separate queries for each information type, thus maintaining high measurement precision while reducing total query time.
Data Source
AI summary
A tool that may be used for querying and obtaining per-hop information along a network path, and/or for verifying the host name of each hop against a data repository such as the DNS. The query and response may be transmitted in, e.g., the destination options header of data packets, such as an IPv6 destination options header.