Patent ID: 6850530

Claim:
In a computer, a method for obtaining resource usage information from a node of a network, the method comprising the steps of: generating a data element having (i) a type value for a type parameter within the data element that will cause the node of the network to determine that the data element is be internally processed as a non-stale data element rather than a stale data element, and (ii) a time value for a time parameter within the data element that will cause the node of the network to determine that the data element is stale to prevent subsequent transmission of the data element from the node of the network when the node of the network processes the data element; sending the data element to the node of the network; and receiving a signal from the node of the network, the signal including (i) an indication that the node of the network has internally processed the data element as a non-stale data element rather than a stale data element and has removed the data element from the network, and (ii) resource usage information describing usage of resources by the node of the network when the node of the network internally processed the data element as a non-stale data element.