Patent ID: 8767587
Filing Date: 2014-07-01
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: receiving an exploratory linktrace message (ELM) having a multicast or broadcast target address from an initiating network device on a port at a receiving network device; propagating the ELM on a plurality of ports of the receiving network device, to a plurality of downstream network devices, based on the multicast or broadcast target address of the ELM; generating, by the receiving network device, an exploratory linktrace reply (ELR) for each of the plurality of ports of the receiving network device to produce a plurality of ELRs for the receiving network device; concatenating, by the receiving network device, the plurality of ELRs for the receiving network device into one or more concatenating ELRs, the one or more concatenating ELRs indicating the port of the receiving network device on which the ELM was received and the plurality of ports of the receiving network device on which the ELM was propagated; and returning, from the receiving network device, the one or more concatenating ELRs to the initiating network device.