Internet Control

Message Protocol
(ICMP)
GROUP - 4

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Overview

 The IP (Internet Protocol) relies on several other

protocols to perform necessary control and routing
functions:
 Control functions (ICMP)
 Multicast signaling (IGMP)
 Setting up routing tables (RIP, OSPF, BGP,
PIM, …)

Routing
RIP OSPF BGP PIM

ICMP IGMP Control

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Overview

 The Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) is a helper protocol that

supports IP with facility for
 Error reporting
 Simple queries

 ICMP messages are encapsulated as IP datagrams:

IP header ICMP message

IP payload

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 ICMP message format
bit # 0 7 8 15 16 23 24 31

type code checksum

additional information
or
0x00000000

4 byte header:
• Type (1 byte): type of ICMP message
• Code (1 byte): subtype of ICMP message
• Checksum (2 bytes): similar to IP header checksum.
Checksum is calculated over entire ICMP message
If there is no additional data, there are 4 bytes set to zero.4
 each ICMP messages is at least 8 bytes long
 ICMP Query message

ICMP Request

ICMP Reply

Host Host or router

ICMP query:
• Request sent by host to a router or host
• Reply sent back to querying host

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 Example of ICMP Queries
Type/Code: Description

8/0 Echo Request

0/0 Echo Reply

13/0 Timestamp Request

14/0 Timestamp Reply

10/0 Router Solicitation

9/0 Router Advertisement

The ping command

uses Echo Request/
Echo Reply

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Example of a Query:
Echo Request and Reply

 Ping’s are handled directly by the kernel

 Each Ping is translated into an ICMP Echo Request
 The Ping’ed host responds with an ICMP Echo Reply
ICMP ECH
O REQUES
T
Host
Host Host
Host
oror or
or
Router
Router router
PL Y router
R E
M P ECHO
IC

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 Example of a Query:
ICMP Timestamp Sender
Sender
Timestamp
Request
 A system (host or router) asks
Receiver
another system for the current Receiver

time.
Timestamp
 Time is measured in milliseconds Reply
after midnight UTC (Universal
Coordinated Time) of the current
day
 Sender sends a request, receiver
responds with reply
Type Code
Checksum
(= 17 or 18) (=0)
identifier sequence number

32-bit sender timestamp

32-bit receive timestamp 8

32-bit transmit timestamp

 ICMP Error message

IP datagram IP datagram
is discarded
ICMP Error
Message

Host Host or router

• ICMP error messages report error conditions

• Typically sent when a datagram is discarded
• Error message is often passed from ICMP to the
application program
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 ICMP Error message
ICMP Message

from IP datagram that triggered the error

IP header ICMP header IP header 8 bytes of payload

type code checksum

Unused (0x00000000)

• ICMP error messages include the complete IP header and

the first 8 bytes of the payload (typically: UDP, TCP)

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Frequent ICMP Error message

Type Code Description

3 0–15 Destination Notification that an IP datagram could not be

unreachable forwarded and was dropped. The code field
contains an explanation.
5 0–3 Redirect Informs about an alternative route for the
datagram and should result in a routing table
update. The code field explains the reason for
the route change.
11 0, 1 Time Sent when the TTL field has reached zero
exceeded (Code 0) or when there is a timeout for the
reassembly of segments (Code 1)
12 0, 1 Parameter Sent when the IP header is invalid (Code 0) or
problem when an IP header option is missing (Code 1)
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Some subtypes of the “Destination Unreachable”

Code Description Reason for Sending

0 Network No routing table entry is available for the destination
Unreachable network.
1 Host Destination host should be directly reachable, but
Unreachable does not respond to ARP Requests.
2 Protocol The protocol in the protocol field of the IP header is
Unreachable not supported at the destination.
3 Port The transport protocol at the destination host cannot
Unreachable pass the datagram to an application.
4 Fragmentation IP datagram must be fragmented, but the DF bit in the
Needed IP header is set.
and DF Bit Set

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 Example: ICMP Port
Unreachable
 RFC 792: If, in the destination host, the IP module cannot deliver the datagram because the indicated protocol
module or process port is not active, the destination host may send a destination unreachable message to the source host.
 Scenario:

Request
a
service
No process
at a por
t 80 is waiting
at port 80
Client
Client Server
Server

t e
Por achabl
e
Unr

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