Packet recording

1. A recording management system, comprising:

apparatus for processing and forwarding a received data packet; and a forwarding network element, separate from and connected to said apparatus over a network, the apparatus for processing and forwarding a received data packet comprising:

a network interface controller for receiving and forwarding a data packet over a network; and

a processor, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the received data packet is to be recorded and to apply to the packet a virtual LAN (VLAN) identification tag from a first group of one or more predetermined VLAN identification tags, in response to it is determined that the packet is to be recorded, and wherein the network interface controller is configured to forward only one instance of the packet, with the VLAN identification tag, and wherein the forwarding network element is arranged

to inspect a received data packet and determine the VLAN identification tag of the data packet, and

to copy the data packet in response to the VLAN identification tag of the packet is in said first group and to send said copy of the data packet to a recording element.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to apply to the packet a VLAN identification tag from a second group of one or more predetermined VLAN identification tags, if it is determined that the packet is not to be recorded.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said processor determines whether the received data packet is to be recorded based on a property of the packet.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said property of the packet comprises at least one of an address associated with a sender of the packet and an address associated with the recipient of the packet.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said processor determines whether the received data packet is to be recorded based on a property of the packet.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said property of the packet comprises at least one of an address associated with a sender of the packet and an address associated with the recipient of the packet.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the data packet is an IP packet comprising voice data of a voice conversation.

8. A method for recording management of a received data packet, comprising:

receiving a data packet over a network at a first network element;

determining at said first network element whether the received data packet is to be recorded;

at said first network element, applying to the packet a virtual LAN (VLAN) identification tag from a first group of one or more predetermined VLAN identification tags, in response to it is determined that the packet is to be recorded;

forwarding only one instance of the packet with the VLAN identification tag over a network, from said first network element to a separate forwarding network element;

inspecting the data packet received at the forwarding network element to determine the VLAN identification tag of the data packet; and

copying the data packet in response to the VLAN identification tag of the packet is in said first group, and sending a copy of the data packet to a recording element.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 , comprising applying to the packet a VLAN identification tag from a second group of one or more predetermined VLAN identification tags, if it is determined that the packet is not to be recorded.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said determining whether the received data packet is to be recorded comprises checking a property of the packet.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said checking a property of the packet comprises checking at least one of an address associated with a sender of the packet and an address associated with a recipient of the packet.

12. A method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said determining whether the received data packet is to be recorded comprises checking a property of the packet.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said checking a property of the packet comprises checking at least one of an address associated with a sender of the packet and an address associated with a recipient of the packet.

14. A method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the data packet is an IP packet comprising voice data of a voice conversation.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium carrying:

a received data packet processing program, executable in a processor and which when executed on a first network element, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining whether the received data packet is to be recorded; applying to the packet a virtual LAN (VLAN) identification tag from a first group of one or more predetermined VLAN identification tags, in response to it is determined that the packet is to be recorded; and

causing only one instance of the packet to be forwarded, with the VLAN identification tag over a network to a separate forwarding network element; and a forwarding network element program, executable in a processor and which when executed on said forwarding network element, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

inspecting the data packet received at the forwarding network element to determine the VLAN identification tag of the data packet; and

copying the data packet in response to the VLAN identification tag of the packet is in said first group, and sending a copy of the data packet to a recording element.