Overview
The Atatus Infra Agent continuously performs traceroute-based network path tests and collects:
- Hop-level latency
- Reachability
- DNS resolution for intermediate hops
- Protocol behavior (TCP, UDP, ICMP)
- End-to-end (E2E) latency
Each path test is defined as a networkpath block under the metrics: section.
When Network Path Monitoring is enabled, each test:
- Executes periodic traceroutes to the target endpoint
- Measures and maps the full path between the source and destination
- Identifies slow hops, packet loss, or asymmetric routes
- Detects BGP or ISP routing changes over time
Requirements
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Agent | atatus-infra-agent |
| Version | 4.2.0 or higher |
| Feature | Network Path Monitoring |
| Supported Protocols | TCP, UDP, ICMP |
| OS Support | Linux, Windows (driver optional) |
Configuration File
All Network Path tests live under: /etc/atatus-infra-agent/conf.d/networkpath.d/networkpath.yml
Configuration Structure
Here is the full configuration block you provided, documented as an official guide:
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metrics:
# NETWORK PATH TRACEROUTE TESTS
# Add multiple tests by repeating a `networkpath:` block
- enabled: true
networkpath:
# Target destination
dest_hostname: "www.example.com" # Target hostname or IP
dest_port: 443 # Target TCP/UDP port
destination_service: "example-service" # Logical name for UI/labels
# Source metadata (optional)
source_service: "atatus-infra-agent" # Local service name
source_container_id: "" # If running inside container
# Traceroute protocol
protocol: "tcp" # Options: tcp | udp | icmp
tcp_method: "syn" # Options: syn | sack | prefer_sack | syn_socket
# Traceroute parameters
max_ttl: 30 # Max hops allowed
timeout: 2s # Per-hop timeout
traceroute_queries: 3 # Number of traceroute attempts per run
e2e_queries: 1 # Number of end-to-end latency probes
# Additional behavior
reverse_dns: true # Perform reverse DNS lookups
tcp_syn_paris_traceroute_mode: true
disable_windows_driver: false # Windows only
# EXAMPLE SECOND TEST
# - enabled: true
# networkpath:
# dest_hostname: "www.second-example.com"
# dest_port: 443
# destination_service: "second-service"
# source_service: "atatus-infra-agent"
#
# protocol: "tcp"
# tcp_method: "syn"
#
# max_ttl: 30
# timeout: 2s
#
# traceroute_queries: 3
# e2e_queries: 1
#
# reverse_dns: true
# tcp_syn_paris_traceroute_mode: true
# disable_windows_driver: false
Field Explanation
Target Definition
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
dest_hostname |
Host/IP you are testing towards |
dest_port |
Port for TCP/UDP traceroute |
destination_service |
Friendly name used in UI for grouping |
Source Metadata
Useful when multiple agents report the same test.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
source_service |
Application or service origin |
source_container_id |
Container ID if running inside Docker/K8s |
Protocol Selection
Supported protocols: TCP (most accurate for real traffic paths), UDP,ICMP.
TCP supports advanced modes:
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
syn |
Standard TCP SYN-based traceroute |
sack |
Uses TCP SACK packets |
prefer_sack |
Prefer SACK when possible |
syn_socket |
Uses OS socket-level tracing |
Traceroute Parameters
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
max_ttl |
Maximum number of hops |
timeout |
Maximum wait time per hop |
traceroute_queries |
How many traceroutes to run each cycle |
e2e_queries |
End-to-end latency probes |
Additional Features
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
reverse_dns |
Whether to reverse-resolve IPs (adds hop names) |
tcp_syn_paris_traceroute_mode |
Avoid load-balancing artifacts |
disable_windows_driver |
Disable traceroute driver on Windows |
Restart Agent
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sudo systemctl restart atatus-infra-agent
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