Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for obtaining information about one or more paths terminating at a subject node for a group of packets by determining one or more nodes that are up line from the subject node for the group of packets and propagating a trace request to each node that is up line from the subject node for the group of packets until the trace request is received at all of the ingress nodes for the group of packets. A trace reply responsive to each trace request is then created and sent. At least one trace reply is then received at the subject node. The information about the one or more paths terminating at the subject node for the group of packets is obtained from the trace replies received at the subject node.