US Patent 11909650 Internet protocol operations and management option

A network device may receive an internet protocol (IP) packet that includes an IP packet header. The IP packet may include at least one extension header, which includes at least one of: a hop-by-hop options header, a first destination options header that precedes a routing header, or a second destination options header that precedes an upper-layer header. The network device may determine that: the hop-by-hop options header includes an Operations and Management capabilities (OAM) option, the first destination options header includes the OAM option and an IP address of the network device matches a destination IP address or a routing IP address identified in the routing header, or the second destination options header includes the OAM option and the IP address of the network device matches the destination IP address. The network device may perform one or more actions indicated by the OAM option.