Patent ID: 7684335

Claim:
First and second portions of a computer-readable storage medium each having computer instructions for operating an Ethernet switch and an Internet Protocol (IP) router, respectively, for conducting diagnostics in a multicast network having network elements comprising one or more IP (Internet Protocol) routers and Ethernet switches, the first portion of the storage medium operating in the Ethernet switch, comprising computer instructions for: receiving an IP query packet generated by a receiver for collecting telemetry data between a source and the receiver wherein a series of at least one IP router and one Ethernet switch is between the source and the receiver; translating the IP query packet to an Ethernet query packet; collecting in the Ethernet query packet telemetry data from a plurality of telemetry fields of the Ethernet switch, wherein at least one of the telemetry fields includes an arrival time of the Ethernet query packet at the Ethernet switch; and submitting the Ethernet query packet to the next network element of the multicast network; the second portion of the storage medium operating in the IP router, comprising computer instruction for; receiving the Ethernet query packet; translating the Ethernet query packet to the IP query packet; collecting in the IP query packet telemetry data from the IP router; and submitting the IP query packet to next network element of the multicast network.