Truncating data units

1. A method comprising:

receiving a data unit at a first device via a network;

generating a truncated copy of the data unit at a first port of the first device, wherein generating a truncated copy of the data unit comprises monitoring a bandwidth capacity of at least one of the first device, a monitoring device, and a link between the first port and the monitoring device, and varying a length of the truncated copy of the data unit based on the monitored bandwidth capacity; and

transmitting the truncated copy of the data unit to the monitoring device through the link.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting one of a plurality of output ports of the first device based on a destination address in the data unit and transmitting the data unit to a second device through the selected output port, wherein the plurality of output ports are available for transmitting data units, including the data unit, received at the first.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating a truncated copy of the data unit further comprises monitoring a bandwidth consumed by data units transmitted by the first port of the first device and varying the length of the truncated copy of the data unit based on the monitored bandwidth consumption.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the truncated copy of the data unit has at least a predetermined minimum truncated length greater than zero, the predetermined minimum truncated length being a minimum length set for truncated copies of data units, including the truncated copy of the data unit, that are generated at the first port of the first device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising appending additional information to the truncated copy of the data unit.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the additional information is appended as at least one of a header portion of the truncated copy of the data unit and a trailer portion of the truncated copy of the data unit.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising determining if the truncated copy of the data unit including the appended additional information exceeds a parameter Limiting data unit length, and removing the appended information before transmitting the truncated copy of the data unit if the truncated copy of the data unit including the appended additional information exceeds the parameter limiting data unit length.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the additional information comprises a timestamp for the arrival of the data unit at the first device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data unit comprises a data packet.

10. A network device comprising:

a first port configured to receive, a data unit via a network;

a forwarding engine configured to control a generation of a truncated copy of the data unit and a transmission of the truncated copy of the data unit to a second port, wherein forwarding engine first port is further configured to control a variation of a length of the truncated copy of the data unit based on a monitored bandwidth capacity, wherein the monitored bandwidth capacity is a monitored bandwidth capacity of at least one of the network device, a monitoring device, and a link between the second port and the monitoring device;

the second port configured to transmit the truncated copy of the data unit to the monitoring device through the link.

11. The network device of claim 10 , wherein the forwarding engine is further configured to control a selection of one of a plurality of output ports of the network device based on a destination address in the data unit and a transmission of the data unit to another device through the selected output port, wherein the plurality of output ports are available for transmitting data units, including the data unit, received at the network device.

12. The network devices of claim 10 , wherein the forwarding engine is further configured to control appending additional information to the truncated copy of the data unit.

13. The network device of claim 10 , wherein the forwarding engine is further configured to vary the length of the truncated copy of the data unit based on a monitored bandwidth consumption by data units transmitted at the second port of the network device.

14. A computer readable storage medium on which is embedded one or more computer programs, said one or more computer programs comprising a set of instructions for:

receiving a data unit at a first device via a network;

generating a truncated copy of the data unit at a first port of the first device, wherein generating the truncated copy of the data unit comprises monitoring a bandwidth consumed by data units transmitted at the first port of the first device and varying a length of the truncated copy of the data unit based on the monitored bandwidth consumption; and

transmitting the truncated copy of the data unit to a monitoring device through a link.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein said one or more computer programs further comprises instructions for:

monitoring a bandwidth capacity of at least one of the first device, the monitoring device, and the link, and varying the length of the truncated copy of the data unit based on the monitored bandwidth capacity.