# US 12,010,001 B2 · Extending distributed application tracing for network optimizations > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,010,001 B2 - Document ID: US12010001B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/234,252 - Filed: 2023-08-15 - Published: 2024-03-21 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2022-09-15 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Alberto Rodriguez-Natal; Edward Albert Warnicke; Saswat Praharaj; Fabio R. Maino - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010001B2 ## CPC - H04L 43/026: using flow identification - H04L 69/321: Interlayer communication protocols or service data unit [SDU] definitions; Interfaces between layers - H04L 43/10: Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route - H04L 69/325: in the network layer [OSI layer 3], e.g. X.25 (H04L69/16 takes precedence) - H04L 69/326: in the transport layer [OSI layer 4] (H04L69/16 takes precedence) - H04L 69/329: in the application layer [OSI layer 7] - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Techniques for extending network elements to inspect, extract, and complement tracing information added to L7 flows by application distributed tracing systems. The techniques may include receiving a Layer-7 (L7) message of an L7 flow associated with a distributed application and determining that the L7 message includes tracing information. In some examples, the tracing information may be mapped to a marking that is to be included in a Layer 3 (L3) or Layer-4 (L4) packet carrying the L7 message, and the L3 or L4 packet including the marking may be sent to an L3 or L4 network element. In some examples, the L3 or L4 network element may be configured to utilize the marking to determine a network decision for the L3 or L4 packet. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving a Layer-7 (L7) message of an L7 flow associated with a distributed application; determining that the L7 message includes tracing information; mapping the tracing information to a marking that is to be included in a Layer-3 (L3) or Layer-4 (L4) packet carrying the L7 message; and sending the L3 or L4 packet including the marking to an L3 or L4 network element, the L3 or L4 network element configured to utilize the marking to determine a network decision for the L3 or L4 packet. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the L7 flow traverses an L3 or L4 network domain disposed between different host devices hosting the distributed application in an application domain. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the tracing information is appended to the L7 message by a L7 tracing component associated with a distributed tracing system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the tracing information is L7 tracing information that is included in a L7 header of the L7 message. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein an L7 component is collocated with the L3 or L4 network element, the L7 component configured to append network-related metadata within the tracing information in the L7 message. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the network-related metadata includes at least one of an identifier associated with the L3 or L4 network element or a latency associated with the L3 or L4 network element handling the L3 or L4 packet. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed at least partially by a L3 or L4 edge network element that is collocated with a L7 proxy. ### Claim 8 A system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving a Layer-7 (L7) message of an L7 flow associated with a distributed application; determining that the L7 message includes tracing information; mapping the tracing information to a marking that is to be included in a Layer-3 (L3) or Layer-4 (L4) packet carrying the L7 message; and sending the L3 or L4 packet including the marking to an L3 or L4 network element, the L3 or L4 network element configured to utilize the marking to determine a network decision for the L3 or L4 packet. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the L7 flow traverses an L3 or L4 network domain disposed between different host devices hosting the distributed application in an application domain. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the tracing information is appended to the L7 message by a L7 tracing component associated with a distributed tracing system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the tracing information is L7 tracing information that is included in a L7 header of the L7 message. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein an L7 component is collocated with the L3 or L4 network element, the L7 component configured to append network-related metadata within the tracing information in the L7 message. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the network-related metadata includes at least one of an identifier associated with the L3 or L4 network element or a latency associated with the L3 or L4 network element handling the L3 or L4 packet. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, the operations further comprising encapsulating the L7 message within the L3 or L4 packet including the marking. ### Claim 15 One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors associated with an edge networking device to perform operations comprising: receiving a Layer-7 (L7) message of an L7 flow associated with a distributed application; determining that the L7 message includes tracing information; mapping the tracing information to a marking that is to be included in a Layer-3 (L3) or Layer-4 (L4) packet carrying the L7 message; and sending the L3 or L4 packet including the marking to an L3 or L4 network element, the L3 or L4 network element configured to utilize the marking to determine a network decision for the L3 or L4 packet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the L7 flow traverses an L3 or L4 network domain disposed between different host devices hosting the distributed application in a same application domain or in different application domains. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the tracing information is appended to the L7 message by a L7 tracing component associated with a distributed tracing system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the tracing information is included in a L7 header of the L7 message. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein an L7 component is collocated with the L3 or L4 network element, the L7 component configured to append network-related metadata within the tracing information in the L7 message. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the network-related metadata includes at least one of an identifier associated with the L3 or L4 network element or a latency associated with the L3 or L4 network element handling the L3 or L4 packet.