Description: Each entry in this table specifies a test connection or test party that is initiated in order to determine a path across the network. Typically the connection or party is cleared when the trace destination node is reached, but the entry may be configured to leave the connections up using the atmTracePathTestClearCallAtTDest object. The results of the path trace are returned in the atmTraceFilterRecordTable, the atmTraceRecordTable, and the atmTraceInfoTable.

A management station wishing to create an entry should first create the associated instance of the row status and row owner objects, using a value of atmTracePathTestIndex that is not currently in use. It must also, either in the same or in successive PDUs, create the associated instance of the address objects. It should also modify the default values for the other configuration objects if the defaults are not appropriate.

Once the appropriate instance of all the configuration objects have been created, either by an explicit SNMP set request or by default, the row status should be set to active to initiate the request. Note that this entire procedure may be initiated via a single set request which specifies a row status of createAndGo as well as specifies valid values for the non-defaulted configuration objects.

After the test connection or party completes, the management station should retrieve the values of the status objects of interest from the atmTraceRecordTable, and should then delete the entry. In order to prevent old entries from clogging the table, entries will be aged out, but an entry will not be deleted within 5 minutes of completing.