US Patent 9088496 Packet tracing through control and data plane operations

Improved debugging capabilities for network packet path tracing. Embodiments trace both the control and data planes. During control plane operations each switch appends its identity to the payload, providing a full trace of the control plan path. Responses containing the forward path payload are provided back at each hop, the responses being routing back by tracing back the forward direction control plane. The data plane is monitored by setting traps along the control plane path, with responses at each hop that indicate a given switch has been used being returned along the control plane path.