Method and system for cascading analyzer trace memories

A method comprising:

• receiving a set of one or more frames in a first analyzer, wherein the first analyzer includes a first trace memory;
• receiving the set in a second analyzer, wherein the second analyzer includes a second trace memory, and wherein the second analyzer and the first analyzer are daisy-chained together;
• determining whether the first trace memory is almost full;
• and
• after determining the first trace memory is almost full, simultaneously storing frames of the set in the first trace memory and the second trace memory.

A method comprising:

• displaying a plurality of trace segments, wherein the plurality of trace segments include a SEAM position, wherein the plurality of trace segments are stored in one or more trace memories, and wherein the one or more trace memories are included in one or more analyzers, the displaying including,
• for each of the plurality of trace segments, finding a portion of the trace segment located between the beginning of the trace segment and the SEAM position;
• combining the portions of the trace segments together;
• and
• presenting the combined portions of the trace segments.

A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

• displaying a plurality of trace segments, wherein the plurality of trace segments include SEAM markers, wherein the plurality of trace segments are stored in one or more trace memories, and wherein the one or more trace memories are included in one or more analyzers, the displaying including,
• for each of the plurality of trace segments, finding a portion of the trace segment located between the beginning of the trace segment and the SEAM marker;
• combining the portions of the trace segments together;
• and
• presenting the combined portions of the trace segments.

An apparatus comprising:

• a master analyzer including,
• a communication link configured to monitor a packet stream;
• and
• a trace memory communicatively coupled to the communication link, wherein the trace memory is to store packets of the packet stream until the trace memory is almost full, wherein after the trace memory is almost full, the master analyzer is to transmit a signal to a slave analyzer, wherein the signal is to trigger the slave analyzer to store packets of the packet stream.

A system comprising:

• a host computer, the host computer to receive network communications;
• a plurality of analyzers communicatively coupled to the host computer, wherein each of the plurality of analyzers includes a plurality of trace memories that form a single virtual memory space, and wherein ones of the plurality of analyzers are to store certain portions of the network communications in the trace memories;
• and
• a disk array communicatively coupled to one of the plurality of analyzers, wherein the disk array is to store selected contents of the trance memories.