A method, in a communication network comprising network devices, comprising: receiving at a first network device a feature trace query packet comprising: a trace total (trace_ttl) value, destination address information for feature trace query packet comprising one or more destination address fields set to "FF", information about a specified feature, and a source IP address for a source network device responsible for sending the trace query packet; replying to the feature trace query packet with information about the specified feature in the feature trace query packet, wherein replying to the feature trace query packet comprises: generating a feature trace response packet comprising: an internet protocol header field comprising: (i) a destination IP field comprising the source IP address for the source network device, and (ii) a source IP address field comprising an IP address of the first network device; a user datagram port port field comprising address information of a destination UDP port; a trace header field comprising a current trace_ttl value at a time of generation of the feature trace response packet; and a payload field comprising feature specific information requested in the feature trace query packet; punting the feature trace response packet to the destination UDP port so that the response packet is punted to software for processing; decrementing the trace_ttl value; propagating the feature trace query packet from the first network device to a second network device if the trace_ttl value is above a minimum threshold; and dropping the feature trace query packet if the trace_ttl value has reached the minimum threshold. receiving at a first network device a feature trace query packet comprising: a trace total (trace_ttl) value, destination address information for feature trace query packet comprising one or more destination address fields set to "FF", information about a specified feature, and a source IP address for a source network device responsible for sending the trace query packet; replying to the feature trace query packet with information about the specified feature in the feature trace query packet, wherein replying to the feature trace query packet comprises: generating a feature trace response packet comprising: an internet protocol header field comprising: (i) a destination IP field comprising the source IP address for the source network device, and (ii) a source IP address field comprising an IP address of the first network device; a user datagram port port field comprising address information of a destination UDP port; a trace header field comprising a current trace_ttl value at a time of generation of the feature trace response packet; and a payload field comprising feature specific information requested in the feature trace query packet; punting the feature trace response packet to the destination UDP port so that the response packet is punted to software for processing; decrementing the trace_ttl value; propagating the feature trace query packet from the first network device to a second network device if the trace_ttl value is above a minimum threshold; and dropping the feature trace query packet if the trace_ttl value has reached the minimum threshold. generating a feature trace response packet comprising: an internet protocol header field comprising: (i) a destination IP field comprising the source IP address for the source network device, and (ii) a source IP address field comprising an IP address of the first network device; a user datagram port port field comprising address information of a destination UDP port; a trace header field comprising a current trace_ttl value at a time of generation of the feature trace response packet; and a payload field comprising feature specific information requested in the feature trace query packet; an internet protocol header field comprising: (i) a destination IP field comprising the source IP address for the source network device, and (ii) a source IP address field comprising an IP address of the first network device; a user datagram port port field comprising address information of a destination UDP port; a trace header field comprising a current trace_ttl value at a time of generation of the feature trace response packet; and a payload field comprising feature specific information requested in the feature trace query packet; punting the feature trace response packet to the destination UDP port so that the response packet is punted to software for processing; decrementing the trace_ttl value; propagating the feature trace query packet from the first network device to a second network device if the trace_ttl value is above a minimum threshold; and dropping the feature trace query packet if the trace_ttl value has reached the minimum threshold.