You might think that network taps are something of an esoteric, plumbing-like part of managing and monitoring networks, and to a certain extent you would be right -- the products are designed to be simple and rock solid and to not leak a single bit (or byte). But the latest offerings are going far beyond this by adding substantial intelligence for flexible deployment of monitoring products and technologies. Why is this important? Two reasons -- growing demands for access and the need to conserve cost.
Demand for access to network packet streams is increasing as IT shops feel the combined needs for live DPI-based monitoring of network-based applications (to meet QoE service objectives), packet analysis for detailed troubleshooting, full monitoring for security tools like IDSs and NBAD. On top of this, there is the emerging need for special recorders or analyzers for compliance monitoring and auditing. There are plenty of products designed to meet several of these requirements; however, the need for operational independence, especially for compliance and security objectives, means that in most cases multiple tools will be deployed.
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