Network switch with traffic generation capability

1. A packet switch system, comprising:

a packet switch appliance having a plurality of network ports to receive packets, each of the network ports to receive packets from a different one of a plurality of network nodes external to the packet switch system, and a plurality of instrument ports, each configured to communicate with a different one of a plurality of network monitoring tools external to the packet switch system, wherein the packet switch appliance is configured to perform packet transmission according to a user-configurable transmission scheme, and wherein the packet switch appliance enables each of the following to be selected as the user-configurable transmission scheme:

a) packet transmission from any specified one of the plurality of network ports to any specified one of the plurality of instrument ports;

b) packet transmission from any specified one of the plurality of network ports to any specified two or more of the plurality of instrument ports;

c) packet transmission from any specified two or more of the plurality of network ports to any specified one of the plurality of instrument ports; and

d) packet transmission from any specified two or more of the plurality of network ports to any specified two or more of the plurality of instrument ports;

wherein the user-configurable transmission scheme can vary from packet to packet;

a storage system to store the packets; and

an integrated circuit configured to retrieve the packets from the storage system and retroactively transmit the packets to one or more of the plurality of instrument ports, for a transmission to a corresponding one or more of the plurality of network monitoring tools, according to one or more of said transmission schemes a), b), c) or d) as previously configured and as applicable for each packet.

2. The packet switch system of claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit is configured to transmit the packets through a period of time that is shorter than a period of time the packet switch appliance took to receive the packets.

3. The packet switch system of claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit is located in the packet switch appliance.

4. The packet switch system of claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit is configured to provide a user interface for allowing the user to input the command.

5. The packet switch system of claim 1 , wherein the storage system comprises a plurality of disks.

6. The packet switch system of claim 1 , wherein the storage system comprises at least 500 gigabytes of space.

7. The packet switch system of claim 1 , wherein the storage system comprises at least 3 terabytes of space.

8. The packet switch system of claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit is configured to process the packets by time-stamping at least some of the packets before storing the packets in the storage system.

9. The packet switch system of claim 1 , wherein the storage system is located in the packet switch appliance.

10. The packet switch system of claim 1 , wherein the storage system is external to the packet switch appliance.

11. The packet switch system of claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit is configured to transmit the packets in a slowed-down configuration such that the packets are transmitted through a period of time that is longer than a period of time the packet switch appliance took to receive the packets.

12. The packet switch system of claim 1 , wherein the storage system is configured to age-out the packets stored therein based on a satisfaction of certain criteria.

13. A method of packet processing, comprising:

receiving packets at a plurality of network ports of a packet switch appliance from respective ones of a plurality of network nodes external to the packet switch appliance;

performing packet transmission in the packet switch appliance to one or more of a plurality of instrument ports of the packet switch appliance according to a user-configurable transmission scheme, each of the instrument ports being configured to communicate with a different one of a plurality of network monitoring tools external to the packet switch appliance;

enabling each of the following to be selected as the user-configurable transmission scheme in the packet switch appliance:

a) packet transmission from any specified one of the plurality of network ports to any specified one of the plurality of instrument ports;

b) packet transmission from any specified one of the plurality of network ports to any specified two or more of the plurality of instrument ports;

c) packet transmission from any specified two or more of the plurality of network ports to any specified one of the plurality of instrument ports; and

d) packet transmission from any specified two or more of the plurality of network ports to any specified two or more of the plurality of instrument ports;

wherein the user-configurable transmission scheme can vary from packet to packet;

storing the packets in a storage device;

receiving a command from a user; and

in response to the received command, retrieving the packets from the storage device, and retroactively transmitting the packets to one or more of the plurality of instrument ports, for a transmission to a corresponding one or more of the plurality of network monitoring tools, according to the user-configurable transmission scheme applicable for each packet, including transmitting packets according to at least two of said a), b), c) or d) as previously configured.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the packets is are transmitted through a period of time that is shorter than a period of time the packet switch appliance took to receive the packets.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising time-stamping at least some of the packets before storing the packets.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the packets are transmitted through a period of time that is longer than a period of time the packet switch appliance took to receive the packets.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising aging-out the packets stored in the storage device based on a satisfaction of certain criteria.