Copyright: ,1995, CompuServe, Inc.. Revised 1/96
Citation: ,1995, CompuServe, Inc. Revised 1/96


Help for SPRY Trace

For information on Trace choose one of the categories listed below. To learn how to use Help, press F1.

	Getting started  An introduction to key concepts. Using Trace Instructions explaining how to perform common tasks. Trace reference  Reference information about the user interface.


What is Trace?

Trace is a program that provides debugging information for your SLIP/PPP transport (used for running programs over a dial-up line using the SLIP/PPP protocol). Lower-level protocol activity and function calls can be displayed; you can select which activity is shown.

Trace is intended for troubleshooting problems with the programs and TCP/IP; you may not find it useful if you are unfamiliar with the protocol information displayed. Do not delete the program, however, as it might be useful when contacting technical support.


Using Trace

Starting Trace

Tracing activity

Displaying statistics in Trace


Starting Trace

You must start Trace from the Dialer program.

To start Trace:

 •	Click the Trace button.

-OR-

Choose Trace from the Network menu.


Tracing activity

Initially, Trace does not provide any information to you. You must select which types of activity you want to display. The Trace menu lists activity that can be traced: PPP, IP, ICMP, TCP, UDP, DNS, and WinSock activity.

When you check an option from the Trace menu (or check an option from the bar at the bottom of the Trace window) that type of activity is displayed at the bottom of the Trace window. You can display as many options as you want.

Different kinds of activity are displayed with different colored messages on your screen. For example, an IP message, which displays IP activity, is displayed in gray. The following message is a sample of IP activity; an IP packet being transmitted from one machine to another.

IP 165.121.6.6 --> 158.252.4.12, Length 78, Protocol 6

Sometimes messages scroll very rapidly across your screen. You can use the scroll bar on the right side of your screen to view past messages. You can also print your Trace activity or save Trace activity to a Log File.


Displaying statistics in Trace

The top of the Trace window displays statistics for your session. You can choose which statistics are displayed by using the Statistics menu.

TIP	You can control the size of areas in the Trace window by moving the split bar in the middle of the window.

To choose which statistics are displayed:

•	Choose an activity from the Statistics menu.

Statistics for that activity are displayed at the top of the Trace window.


Trace reference

File Menu

Edit Menu

Statistics Menu

Trace Menu


File menu

Capture Trace	Allows you to capture all Trace session activity to a Log file. When you put a check next to this option, the capture begins. The Log file is automatically saved as TRACE.LOG in your current DATA directory.

Print	Prints all Trace session activity (up to the current message) to your current Windows printer. Choose Print Setup to change the current printer.

Print Setup	Specifies which printer is used to print Trace session activity.

Exit	Exits the Trace program (you can also double-click the Windows System menu to exit Trace).


Edit menu

Clear Trace Buffer	Clears all current messages from the buffer (screen). You might want to do this if you have too many messages displayed and do not want to print all of the messages, or if you want new messages to appear at the top of the screen.


Statistics menu

Use options in the Statistics menu to choose whether statistics are displayed for an activity. The exact statistics displayed vary according to the activity.

COMM

PPP

IP/ICMP

TCP/UDP

Sockets


Trace menu

Use options in the Trace menu to choose which activity you want to trace. When you check any option in the Trace menu, messages are displayed in the Trace window whenever that type of activity occurs.

PPP (Point to

Point Protocol)	PPP messages are typically displayed during your initial PPP negotiation connection or when there are transmission errors. This option also displays SLIP (Serial Line Interface Protocol) statistics if you are using a SLIP transport. PPP messages are displayed in red.

IP (Internet Protocol)	Data is sent to and from your programs in IP packets. IP messages indicate transmission failures and success. IP messages are displayed in gray.

ICMP (Internet

Control Message

Protocol)	ICMP messages are stack-to-stack messages. They are not common. ICMP messages are displayed in black.

TCP (Transmission

Control Protocol)	TCP is the most common program-level data packet used. TCP messages are displayed when you use your programs. TCP messages are displayed in purple.

UDP (User Data

Protocol)	UDP is another program-level data packet, similar to TCP. UDP messages are typically displayed when making DNS requests. UDP messages are displayed in cyan.

DNS (Domain

Name System)	DNS is an address resolution protocol that is used to determine the IP address of a location you are trying to reach. DNS messages are displayed when your programs make a DNS request or receive DNS information. DNS messages are displayed in green.

WinSock (Windows

Sockets)	WinSock messages are displayed whenever programs make a call to the WinSock layer (the layer between the programs and lower level protocols like TCP). WinSock messages are displayed in blue.