Method, apparatus and system for determining an optimum route for transmission of a captured data packet through a stacked topology of network captured traffic distribution devices

A network captured traffic distribution device comprising:

• a plurality of bi-directional ports configured to perform at least one of receiving captured network traffic and echoing received captured network traffic to one or more of the plurality of bi-directional ports;
• a stacking port configured to enable, via a communication link, the stacking of the network captured traffic distribution device with at least one additional network captured traffic distribution device in a stacked topology wherein the stacking includes an exchange of configuration information between the network captured traffic distribution device and the at least one additional network captured traffic distribution device;
• a processor for:
• determining a target destination of a captured data packet included in received traffic flow of captured data packets;
• determining a plurality of routes through the topology of stacked network captured traffic distribution devices from a ingress port of the plurality of ingress ports to the target destination;
• analyzing each of the plurality of determined routes;
• and
• selecting an optimum route from the plurality of determined routes based on the analysis;
• and
• an egress port for transmitting captured data packets along the selected optimum route toward the target destination.

A computer-readable media storing a set of instructions executable by a computer, wherein execution of the instructions includes:

• determining a target destination of a captured data packet included in a traffic flow of captured data packets received by a network captured traffic distribution device communicatively coupled to a topology of stacked network captured traffic distribution devices, wherein the traffic flow of captured data packets is received via at least one of a mirror port resident on a source of the captured data packets and a traffic capture point located along a communication link between two communicating devices;
• determining a plurality of routes through the topology of stacked network captured traffic distribution devices from the network captured traffic distribution device to the target destination;
• analyzing of the plurality of determined routes;
• selecting an optimum route from the plurality of determined routes based on the analysis;
• and
• transmitting the captured data packet toward the target destination via the selected optimum route.