1. A method, comprising: forwarding a database path reporting query, comprising a logical table definition that maps to at least one physical table within at least one distributed database node and at least one route tracing indicator that specifies distributed route tracing information to be returned in response to the forwarded database path reporting query, to the at least one distributed database node within a distributed network of databases; receiving at least one path reporting query response comprising the distributed route tracing information associated with each distributed database node that processed the forwarded database path reporting query along a path associated with the at least one path reporting query response; processing the received distributed route tracing information to characterize query route propagation within the distributed network of databases; identifying local route tracing information based upon the at least one route tracing indicator, where identifying the local route tracing information based upon the at least one route tracing indicator comprises: mapping the database path reporting query into a database count query that specifies return of a number of rows that match a count query criterion within the database count query; executing the database count query against a local database, where the database count query returns the number of rows of the local database that match the count query criterion; and forming the local route tracing information using the number of rows of the local database that match the count query criterion; combining the identified local route tracing information with the distributed route tracing information of the at least one path reporting query response; and returning the at least one path reporting query response to at least one of a distributed database node and an application-level module.