Operations processing of multiple-protocol packets by packet switching devices in a network

A particular network node in a network, comprising:

• one or more processing elements;
• memory;
• one or more interfaces sending and receiving packets;
• and
• wherein the particular network node performs operations including:
• receiving a particular multiple-protocol (MP) packet, with the network including a plurality of network nodes that includes the particular network node, with the particular MPH packet including a plurality of protocol headers, with each of the plurality of protocol headers including an operations data field, with the plurality of protocol headers including a first protocol header and a second protocol header, and with the operations data field of the first protocol header including first protocol ordered operations data;
• cohering operations data from the operations data field of each of the plurality of protocol headers into the operations data field of the second protocol header resulting in the operations data field of the second protocol header including ordered MP operations data, and with said ordered MP operations data evidencing operations data of each of the plurality of network nodes in a node traversal order taken by the particular MP packet among the plurality of network nodes;
• and
• sending into the network the particular MP packet including said ordered MP operations data in the second protocol header.