# US 2022/0286394 A1 · Multi-hop physical layer data collection protocol > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0286394 A1 - Document ID: US20220286394A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/752,096 - Filed: 2022-05-24 - Published: 2022-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-25 - Assignees: Juniper Networks, Inc. - Applicants: Juniper Networks, Inc. - Inventors: Manish Talwar; Ajay Kachrani; Gert Grammel; Hao Wang; Tanweer Biswas - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220286394A1 ## CPC - H04L 45/02: Topology update or discovery - H04L 45/26: {Route discovery packet} - H04L 45/74: Address processing for routing - H04L 63/0485: {Networking architectures for enhanced packet encryption processing, e.g. offloading of IPsec packet processing or efficient security association look-up} - H04L 69/164: Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol - H04L 69/22: Parsing or analysis of headers - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Disclosed embodiments utilize a layer three and/or layer four protocol to collect physical layer properties along a multi-hop network path between a source node and a destination node. The use of a layer three or layer four protocol provides an ability to span multiple links or networks between the source node and destination node, while also collecting the physical layer properties. Once physical layer properties along a network path can be understood, decisions relating to the configuration of the network path and/or whether to communicate via the network path are improved. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method performed by a network device, the method comprising: generating a packet comprising a message, the message indicating a request for a value of a layer one or layer two (L1 or L2) property; transmitting the packet to a destination device; receiving, from the destination device, a second packet comprising a response message to the message; decoding the response message from the second packet; and decoding, from the response message, one or more L1 or L2 property values of one or more network devices traversed along a network path from the network device to the destination device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the one or more L1 or L2 property values on a display screen or including the L1 or L2 property values in a report. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising changing a network configuration based on the one or more L1 or L2 property values. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the packet comprises generating the message and encapsulating the message in a layer three or layer four (L3 or L4) protocol header. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the message is an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) message and the L3 or L4 protocol header comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) header. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein generating the ICMP message comprises setting a type field or code field to indicate that the ICMP message includes a request for a value of an L1 or L2 property. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein generating the ICMP message comprises including a data field in the ICMP message that requests a value of an L1 or L2 property. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the message is an LSP-ping message and the L3 or L4 protocol header comprises a transmission control protocol (TCP) or user datagram protocol (UDP) header. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein generating the LSP-ping message comprises setting a reply mode filed to a predefined value that indicates that the LSP-ping message includes a request for a value of an L1 or L2 property. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein decoding the response message from the second packet comprises decoding an L3 or L4 header from the second packet. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the response message is an ICMP message, and wherein decoding the one or more L1 or L2 property values from the response message comprises decoding the one or more L1 or L2 property values from an ICMP data field of the ICMP message. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the response message is an LSP-ping message, and wherein decoding the one or more L1 or L2 property values from the response message comprises decoding the one or more L1 or L2 property values from a type length values (TLV) field of the LSP-ping message. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the L1 or L2 property comprises at least one of a property indicating whether media access control security (MACSec) is enabled, a property indicating whether synchronous Ethernet (SyncE) is enabled, a property indicating whether precision time protocol (PTP) is enabled, a property indicating whether optical transport network (OTN) security is enabled, a property indicating a maximum transmission data unit (MTU) size, a property indicating a synchronization state of the network device, or a property indicating an L1 or L2 attribute of the network device. ### Claim 14 A system comprising: hardware processing circuitry; and one or more hardware memories storing instructions that, when executed, configure the hardware processing circuitry to perform operations comprising: generating a packet comprising a message, the message indicating a request for a value of a layer one or layer two (L1 or L2) property; transmitting the packet to a destination device; receiving, from the destination device, a second packet comprising a response message to the message; decoding the response message from the second packet; and decoding, from the response message, one or more L1 or L2 property values of one or more network devices traversed along a network path from the network device to the destination device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, the operations further comprising causing display of the one or more L1 or L2 property values on a display screen or inclusion of the L1 or L2 property values in a report. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, the operations further comprising changing a network configuration based on the one or more L1 or L2 property values. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the packet comprises an ICMP message encapsulated in an IP protocol header. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the packet comprising an LSP-ping message encapsulated in a TCP or UDP header. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the L1 or L2 property comprises at least one of a property indicating whether media access control security (MACSec) is enabled, a property indicating whether synchronous Ethernet (SyncE) is enabled, a property indicating whether precision time protocol (PTP) is enabled, a property indicating whether optical transport network (OTN) security is enabled, a property indicating a maximum transmission data unit (MTU) size, a property indicating a synchronization state of the network device, or a property indicating an L1 or L2 attribute of the network device. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, configure hardware processing circuitry to perform operations comprising: generating a packet comprising a message, the message indicating a request for a value of a layer one or layer two (L1 or L2) property; transmitting the packet to a destination device; receiving, from the destination device, a second packet comprising a response message to the message; decoding the response message from the second packet; and decoding, from the response message, one or more L1 or L2 property values of one or more network devices traversed along a network path from the network device to the destination device.