Method and apparatus for measuring latency of a computer network

A source router, comprising:

• means for preparing a control message to send to a destination router, said control message to activate the destination router to listen on a designated port for a designated time period for the destination router to receive a server request message at the designated port;
• means for transmitting the control message to the destination router;
• and
• means for transmitting the server request message to the destination router within a time interval less than the designated time period.

A method for operating a destination router, comprising:

• receiving a control message;
• activating, in response to receiving the control message, the destination router to listen for a designated time period for the destination router to receive a server request message;
• receiving the server request message within the designated time period;
• transmitting, in response to receiving the server request message within the designated time period, an echo reply message;
• and
• not transmitting an echo reply message in the event that the server request message arrives later than the designated time period.

A destination router, comprising:

• means for receiving a control message;
• means for activating, in response to receiving the control message, the destination router to listen for a designated time period for the destination router to receive a server request message;
• means for receiving the server request message within the designated time period;
• means for transmitting, in response to receiving the server request message within the designated time period, an echo reply message;
• and
• means for not transmitting an echo reply message in the event that the server request message arrives later than the designated time period.

A method of operating a system of routers, the system having a source router and a destination router, comprising:

• preparing by the source router, a control message to send to the destination router, said control message to activate the destination router to listen for a designated time period for the destination router to receive a server request message;
• transmitting by the source router the control message to the destination router;
• receiving by the destination router the control message;
• activating, in response to receiving the control message, the destination router to listen for a designated time period for the destination router to receive a server request message;
• transmitting by the source router the server request message to the destination router within a time interval less than the designated time period;
• transmitting by the destination router, in response to receiving the server request message within the designated time period, an echo reply message;
• and
• not transmitting, by the destination router, an echo reply message in the event that the server request message arrives later than the designated time period.

A system of routers having a source router and a destination router, comprising:

• means for preparing by the source router, control message to send to a destination router, said control message to activate the destination router to listen for a designated time period for the destination router to receive a server request message;
• means for transmitting by the source router the control message to the destination router;
• means for receiving by the destination router the control message;
• means for activating, in response to receiving the control message, the destination router to listen for a designated time period for the destination router to receive a server request message;
• means for transmitting by the source router the server request message to the destination router within a time interval less than the designated time period;
• means for transmitting by the destination router, in response to receiving the server request message within the designated time period, an echo reply message;
• and
• means for not transmitting, by the destination router, an echo reply message in the event that the server request message arrives later than the designated time period.