DIRECTING A NETWORK TRANSACTION TO A PROBE

1 . A tap comprising:

at least two input ports configured to receive network data from at least two inter-switch-links (ISLs);

a first probe port configured to transmit network data to a first network analysis probe;

a second probe port configured to transmit network data to a second network analysis probe; and

at least one processor having access to instructions that cause the at least one processor to perform the following acts:

identify a field in the network data received by the at least two input ports, the field associating the network data with a particular network transaction;

assign the particular transaction to one of the first or second probes; and

cause the network data to be transmitted to the assigned first or second probe.

2 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to perform the following act:

perform a hashing function on the identified field of the network data to generate a hashing value associated with the particular transaction to which the network data belongs.

3 . An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to perform the following act:

compare a load of each probe coupled to the at least two probe ports, wherein the hashing value is assigned to one of the first or second probes based on a result of the comparison of the load of each probe.

4 . An apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the load is associated with a number of transactions assigned to each probe.

5 . An apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the load is associated with a size of each transaction assigned to each probe.

6 . An apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one processor includes a field programmable gate array (FPGA).

7 . An apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one processor includes a hashing field programmable gate array (FPGA) configured to perform the hashing function and a distribution FPGA configured to direct the network data to the assigned probe.

8 . An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the distribution FPGA is further configured to assign a probe to the network data based on a hashing value received from the hashing FPGA.

9 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the field includes an initiator/target/LUN (ITL) field.

10 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the field describes a source device and destination device of the network data.

11 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the particular transaction is assigned to the first probe or the second probe based on a type of analysis conducted by the first and second probes.

12 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the particular transaction is assigned to the first probe or the second probe based on a type of each probe.

13 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the particular transaction is assigned to the first probe or the second probe based on a capability of each probe.

14 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus includes at least three input ports, each input port being connected to a different ISL of a network such that the apparatus is capable of being connected to every ISL of the network.

15 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two input ports are configured to receive network data from the ISLs via wireless connections.

16 . An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two input ports are configured to receive network data from the ISLs via wired connections.

17 . A network analysis system comprising:

the apparatus of claim 1 including several input and output ports configured to couple to each inter-switch link of a network thereby receiving all of the network data of each transaction transmitted in the network; and

at least two network analysis probes coupled to respective probe ports.

18 . A network analysis system according to claim 17 , further comprising:

at least two portals coupled to respective probes and configured to collect the network data from the probe connected to the respective portal; and

software configured to present the network data in a graphical user interface.

19 . A method for directing network data a one of multiple probes comprising the following acts:

receiving network data from all ISLs in a network;

hashing a field in the network data to generate a hashing value associated with a transaction to which the network data belongs;

assigning the hash value to a network probe;

transmitting the network data to the assigned network probe along with all other network data associated with the same transaction; and

analyzing all of the network data of the transaction.

20 . A method according to claim 19 , wherein the network data is received from each ISL via a wireless or wired connection.