Method, apparatus and system for a layer of stacked network captured traffic distribution devices

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a stacked topology of communicatively coupled network captured traffic distribution devices, captured network traffic from a plurality of captured network traffic sources;
• analyzing, by at least one network captured traffic distribution device included in the stacked topology, the received captured traffic;
• determining, by at the least one network captured traffic distribution device included in the stacked topology, a target destination of the received captured traffic based on the analysis;
• and
• transmitting, by at the least one network captured traffic distribution device included in the stacked topology, the received captured traffic through the stacked topology toward the target destination.

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;
• an egress port configured to transmit received captured network traffic to an external device;
• a stacking port configured to enable, via a communication link, the stacking of the network captured traffic distribution device with a plurality of network captured traffic distribution devices in a stacked topology wherein the stacking includes an exchange of configuration information between the network captured traffic distribution device and the plurality of network captured traffic distribution devices;
• and
• a processor configured to manage distribution of received captured network traffic through the network captured traffic distribution device and the stacked topology of network captured traffic distribution devices.