Trace Route Utility

Requirements
Effect on Performance
How To Execute the Trace Route Utility
Examples of Trace Route Output

This chapter describes the Trace Route Utility (TRCROUTE), which enables administrators to discover what path or route a connection is taking from a client to a server.

If TRCROUTE encounters a problem, it returns an error stack to the client instead of a single error. These additional error messages make troubleshooting easier.

TRCROUTE is different from TNSPING in that it travels as a special type of connect packet, and is routed as such. As it travels toward its destination, the TRCROUTE connect packet collects the TNS addresses of every node it travels through. If an error occurs, TRCROUTE collects error information that shows where the error occurred. The Trace Route Utility displays the information collected on the client screen. You can redirect the TRCROUTE output to a file, and print it if you wish.

Requirements

Trace Route works only over SQL*Net release 2.3. Every node along the route from client to server must use SQL*Net 2.3. If a pre-2.3 node is on the path, the following error is displayed:

TNS-03603:  Encountered a node with pre-2.3 version of SQL*Net

Note: TRCROUTE will be most useful when the route traverses several Oracle MultiProtocol Interchanges. It can be a boon to troubleshooting because it shows what node along the path is responsible for any errors. At the time of this release, however, MultiProtocol Interchanges do not use SQL*Net 2.3.

Effect on Performance

The Trace Route Utility uses minimal resources. It gathers information in the connect data of a special connect packet; standard connect packets are not affected.

The server is not affected by TRCROUTE. The listener receives and processes the TRCROUTE connect packet. It returns the information to the client by putting it into a refuse packet. The server does not need to start up any new processes or deal with dummy connections.

How To Execute the Trace Route Utility

To execute TRCROUTE, enter the following command:

trcroute service_name

In this command, service_name is the name of server mapped to an address in TNSNAMES.ORA or in Oracle Names.

Note: If you have configured your network to use listener load balancing, there may be more than one listener on different nodes for a database. If so, the Trace Route Utility might use any of the listeners, just as a regular connection request might. The output it returns shows you what listener node it used.

Examples of Trace Route Output

This section includes two examples.

The first shows the output of a successful Trace Route packet that traveled from a client to a listener.

The second shows the output of a Trace Route packet that was unable to reach the listener because the listener was not up.

Successful Trace Route

%trcroute tcp_direct
 
Trace Route Utility for Solaris: Version 2.3.2.0.0 - Production on 01-DEC-95 13:26:36
 
Copyright (c) Oracle Corporation 1995.  All rights reserved.
 
Route of TRCROUTE:
------------------
 
Node: Client            Time and address of entry into node:
-------------------------------------------------------------
01-DEC-95 13:26:36 ADDRESS= PROTOCOL=TCP  Host=shining-sun  Port=1581
 
Node: Server            Time and address of entry into node:
-------------------------------------------------------------
01-DEC-95 13:27:20 ADDRESS= PROTOCOL=TCP  Host=setting-sun  Port=1526

Trace Route with Error

% trcroute tcp_direct
 
Trace Route Utility for SVR4: Version 2.3.1.1.0 - Production on 01-DEC-95 11:12:34
 
Copyright (c) Oracle Corporation 1995.  All rights reserved.
 
Route of TRCROUTE:
------------------
 
Node: Client            Time and address of entry into node:
-------------------------------------------------------------
01-DEC-95 11:12:34 ADDRESS= PROTOCOL=TCP  Host=shining-sun  Port=1581
 
TNS-12224: TNS:no listener
TNS-12541: TNS:no listener
TNS-12560: TNS:protocol adapter error
TNS-03601: Failed in route information collection

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