Method and apparatus to monitor and analyze end to end flow control in an ethernet/enhanced ethernet environment

A system for monitoring and analyzing flow control of packets in a communications network, comprising:

• a communications network including multiple data transmission paths;
• a first data path through the communications network from the multiple data transmission paths, the first data path including an initiating node and a target node in the communications network;
• and
• a test frame for transmission over the first data path of the communications network, the test frame being generated by an initiator module of a program, the program being embodied on a computer readable storage device in a computer having a processor for executing the program, the initiator module being configured to transmit the test frame over the first data path from the initiating node to the target node, the test frame being configured to record a starting timestamp in the test frame by the initiating node, upon transmitting the test frame, the test frame being configured to comprise a half trip timestamp when the test frame is received by the initiating node from the target node, and the test frame being configured to record an end timestamp in the test frame by the initiating node, upon the test frame being received at the initiating node from the target node.

A computer program product for monitoring and analyzing flow control of packets in a communications network, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code being readable/executable by a processor to perform a method, comprising:

• identifying multiple data transmission paths in a communications network;
• selecting a first data path through the communications network from the multiple data transmission paths, the first data path including an initiating node and a target node in the communications network;
• generating a test frame for transmission over the first data path of the communications network, using an initiator module of the program;
• transmitting the test frame over the first data path from the initiating node to the target node using the initiator module;
• recording a starting timestamp in the test frame by the initiating node, upon transmitting the test frame;
• receiving the test frame at the initiating node from the target node, the test frame comprising a half trip timestamp;
• and
• recording an end timestamp in the test frame by the initiating node, upon the test frame being received at the initiating node from the target node.