The ICMP protocol is managed through a combination of software and hardware components, and involves several key steps:
1. Packet Generation: When a node needs to send an ICMP packet, it will generate the packet data and any necessary headers.
1. Packet Transmission: The packet is then passed to the network interface card (NIC), which sends it out onto the network.
1. Packet Reception: When a node receives an ICMP packet, its NIC passes the packet up to the operating system.
1. Packet Processing: The operating system will then examine the packet to determine the appropriate course of action, which may include generating a response packet, updating network routing tables, or logging the event.
1. Response Generation: If the node determines that a response to the ICMP packet is necessary (e.g. in the case of an echo request), it will generate a response packet and repeat the packet transmission and reception steps.
1. Error Handling: If the ICMP packet indicates an error in the network or transmission, the operating system may take additional actions such as retransmitting the previous packet or adjusting network routing configurations.
