Abstract: A method and apparatus for tracing a virtual circuit. A request message is received from a trace originating node. The request message includes a trace transit list. The trace transit list includes one or more element types in a vendor specific information portion of the trace transit list. At least one of the element types is a node level call processing latency element, a network level call processing latency element, an egress physical port identifier element, an ingress physical port identifier element, an ingress logical port identifier element, or a time stamp element. The one or more element types are added to the vendor specific information portion of the trace transit list. The request message is transmitted toward a trace terminating node. An acknowledge message is received from the trace terminating node. The acknowledge message includes the trace transit list copied from the request message to the acknowledge message by the trace terminating node.