System, apparatus, and methods for inserting information into captured data packets

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a network captured traffic distribution device, a traffic flow of captured data packets wherein the data packets are received via at least one of a minor port resident on a source of the captured data packets and a traffic capture point located along a communication link between two communicating devices, further wherein the network traffic distribution device includes a plurality of ingress and egress ports;

determining, by the network captured traffic distribution device, a time of arrival of a data packet included in the traffic flow of captured data packets at the network captured traffic distribution device;

generating, by the network captured traffic distribution device, a time stamp value based on the determination including receiving a value from a first counter, receiving a value from a second counter and combining the values from the first and second counters;

inserting, by the network captured traffic distribution device, the generated time stamp into the data packet;

determining, by the network captured distribution device, an egress port assigned to the data packet; and

transmitting, by the network captured distribution device, the data packet, including the time stamp, to the assigned egress port.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generated time stamp value is based on at least one of a system clock in communication with the network captured traffic distribution device, a port timer associated with an ingress port via which the data packet is received, a difference between a current time of arrival of the data packet and an arrival time of a previously received data packet, a time value received from a system clock, and a time value received from a global positioning receiver (GPS Receiver).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the time stamp includes:

adjusting the time stamp value based on an accuracy level of the determined time of arrival of the data packet.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data packet includes at least one of a frame check sequence (FCS) and a cyclic redundancy check (CRC), further wherein the time stamp is inserted immediately preceding the at least one of the FCS and CRC.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the egress port assigned to the data packet is based on configuration information stored on the network captured traffic distribution device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the egress port assigned to the data packet is a monitor port.