System and method for providing troubleshooting in a network environment

Logic encoded in one or more non-transitory media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor is operable to perform operations comprising:

• identifying a change in header information within a packet of a communication flow, wherein the change in the header information reflects a predetermined type of header change that signifies a degradation condition for the communication flow, wherein the degradation condition was detected at an endpoint for the communication flow;
• generating a mean opinion score (MOS) for a specific media stream in the communication flow;
• determining whether to indicate the degradation condition to network elements along a network path associated with the communication flow based on the MOS;
• changing a header field within an outgoing frame of the specific media stream to initiate a trace through the network path;
• collecting diagnostic data associated with the specific media stream in the communication flow;
• and
• identifying particular media streams associated with the degradation condition.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a memory element configured to store data;
• a processor operable to execute instructions associated with the data;
• and a monitoring module configured to interface with the memory element and the processor, the monitoring module being configured to:
• identify a change in header information within a packet of a communication flow, wherein the change in the header information reflects a predetermined type of header change that signifies a degradation condition for the communication flow, wherein the degradation condition was detected at an endpoint for the communication flow;
• generate a mean opinion score (MOS) for a specific media stream in the communication flow;
• determine whether to indicate the degradation condition to network elements along a network path associated with the communication flow based on the MOS;
• change a header field within an outgoing frame of the specific media stream to initiate a trace through the network path;
• collect diagnostic data associated with the specific media stream in the communication flow;
• and
• identify particular media streams associated with the degradation condition.