Abstract: Methods, computer-readable storage media and systems may be provided for investigating a Quality of Service (“QoS”) disruption among nodes of a computer network that form a multicast forwarding tree. A topology of the multicast forwarding tree may be identified. Performance data may be collected at interfaces between nodes of the multicast forwarding tree. A source of the QoS disruption may be identified by mapping the performance data to the topology.

Abstract: In a method for selecting a path through a network of nodes from a source device to a destination device, per hop behaviors (PHB) of the nodes is identified and a path entropy for a plurality of candidate paths through the network between the source device and the destination device are derived based upon the PHBs of the nodes. In addition, one of the plurality of candidate paths is selected to communicate data from the source device to the destination device based on the path entropies of the plurality of candidate paths.