Path testing in communications networks

A method for operating a packet communications network comprising

• interconnecting a plurality of network resources by transmission links, some of said transmission links being packet switched transmission facilities and some others of said transmission links being circuit switched transmission facilities,
• launching a path test command on said network, said path test command following a preselected path from a source resource in said network to a destination resource in said network,
• returning said path test command from said destination resource to said source resource,
• in response to said path test command, identifying each of said resources along said preselected path, and
• transmitting the identification of said each said resource to said source resource.

A single physical resource along a particular connection path in a data communications network comprising a plurality of network resources connected by transmission links, comprising

• means responsive to a path test command arriving on said connection path for generating an identification of said physical resource, and
• means for transmitting said physical identification of said physical resource back on said connection path,
• means associated with said physical resource for generating a representation of the current time, and
• means for transmitting said current time representation back on said connection path.

A single physical resource along a particular connection path in a data communications network having a plurality of network resources connected by transmission links, comprising

• means responsive to a path test command arriving on said connection path for generating an identification of said physical resource,
• means for transmitting said physical identification of said physical resource back on said connection path;
• and
• means for notifying the lowest protocol level in said physical resource to initiate a wrap around test to the next resource in said connection path.

A method for operating a physical resource in a packet communications network comprising a plurality of network resources interconnected by transmission links,

• in response to a path test command arriving at said physical resource, generating an identification of said physical resource, and
• transmitting said identification of said physical resource back on said connection path,
• generating a representation of the current time, and
• transmitting said representation of the current time back on said preselected path.