Methods and apparatuses for implementing network packet brokers and taps

An apparatus for improving data communication in a network, comprising:

• a network packet broker including:
• an ingress port for receiving a plurality of data packets, the plurality of data packets including original data packets transmitted by a first network device and destined for a second network device, the first and second network devices being separate from the network packet broker, the plurality of data packets further including replicate data packets copied by the first network device or a network tap for monitoring purposes;
• a processor;
• and
• a memory in communication with the processor configured to:
• segregate the plurality of data packets received at the ingress port into the original data packets and the replicate data packets;
• determine whether each of the original data packets is a service level agreement (SLA)-enabled data packet that is associated with a SLA parameter;
• designate the SLA-enabled data packets into a first group comprising a plurality of high priority queues;
• designate the replicate data packets into a second group comprising a plurality of lower priority queues;
• prioritize the queuing and de-queuing of the plurality of high priority queues in the first group according to SLA parameters associated with the SLA-enabled data packets;
• prioritize the queuing and de-queuing of the plurality of lower priority queues in the second group according to one or more processing parameters associated with a plurality of monitoring tools;
• and
• operate as an in-line device for the original data packets by forwarding the original data packets to a first network monitoring tool separate from the first and second network devices, receiving at least some of the original data packets from the first network monitoring tool, and forwarding the original data packets received from the first network monitoring tool to the second network device.

A network packet broker (NPB) for facilitating monitoring of network traffic in a data communication in a network, comprising:

• a first port for receiving a plurality of data packets, the plurality of data packets including original data packets transmitted by a first network device and destined for a second network device, the first and second network devices being separate from the network packet broker, the plurality of data packets further including replicate data packets copied by the first network device or a network tap for monitoring purposes;
• and
• a processor;
• and
• a memory in communication with the processor configured to:
• segregate the plurality of data packets into the original data packets and the replicate data packets;
• determine whether each of the original data packets is a service level agreement (SLA)-enabled data packet that is associated with a SLA parameter;
• designate the SLA-enabled data packets into a first group comprising a plurality of high priority queues;
• designate the replicate data packets into a second group comprising a plurality of lower priority queues;
• prioritize the queuing and de-queuing of the plurality of high priority queues in the first group according to SLA parameters associated with the SLA-enabled data packets;
• prioritize the queuing and de-queuing of the plurality of lower priority queues in the second group according to one or more processing parameters associated with a plurality of monitoring tools;
• and
• operating as an in-line device for the original data packets by forwarding the original data packets to a first network monitoring tool separate from the first and second network devices, receiving at least some of the original data packets from the first network monitoring tool, and forwarding the original data packets received from the first network monitoring tool to the second network device.