Network device and packet replication method

A network device, comprising:

• a classification engine configured to classify a plurality of packets of a flow;
• a forwarding engine coupled to the classification engine and configured to forward the packets through corresponding egress ports according to corresponding destination of the packets;
• and
• a packet replication device coupled to the forwarding engine and comprising:
• an interface circuit coupled to the forwarding engine to retrieve at least one of the packets from the forwarding engine and correspondingly output a replicated packet through at least one of a local CPU port and a tunnel port;
• a replication control circuit coupled to the interface circuit to receive the replicated packet, wherein the replication control circuit calculates a current rate corresponding to the replicated packet, check a flow table for a cumulative number of replicated packets of the flow, and determines, according to the current rate and the cumulative number of replicated packets, to selectively forward the replicated packet to at least one security engine through at least one of the local CPU port and the tunnel port based on the execution of one or more security-related applications,
• wherein the replicated packet is selectively forwarded in response to the cumulative number of replicated packets recorded in the flow table not being greater than a predetermined packet number,
• wherein the replicated packet is discarded in response to the cumulative number of replicated packets recorded in the flow table being greater than the predetermined packet number;
• and
• a storage unit configured to store the flow table.