Net Optics 10_100 to Triple-speed Port Aggregator - Manual (Page 5)

10/100 to Triple-speed Port Aggregator
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Introduction
Net Optics 10/100 to Triple-speed Port Aggregator provides ultra-efficient
access to critical links . This pioneering technology enables any monitoring
device to simultaneously monitor a full-duplex link - using only one NIC per
device .
Typically, full-duplex monitoring with a network tap requires two NICs (or
a dual channel NIC) – one interface for each side of the tapped full-duplex
connection . The Port Aggregator Tap combines and regenerates these streams,
sending all aggregated data out two separate passive monitoring ports .
Triple-Speed Monitoring Ports
The 10/100 to Triple-speed Port Aggregator features triple-speed 10/100/1000
ports for monitoring tools, enabling faster tools to capture both sides of a
fully-utilized 100 Mbps full-duplex link without relying on the Tap's buffering
capability .
Buffering Prevents Lost Data
The 10/100 to Triple-speed Port Aggregator is designed to handle the com-
bined traffic of a single full-duplex link. When the traffic queue exceeds the
capacity of a 10 or 100 Mbps NIC, the Tap buffers the overflow of up to one
gigabyte of data for both sides of the full-duplex connection . The buffer clears
automatically when the traffic volume falls below the receiving capacity of the
NIC. For example, if there is a traffic burst on a 100 Mbps network port and
a 100 Mbps monitoring device is now receiving 140 Mbps of traffic, the Tap
buffers data until the burst is over . The Tap then sends the buffered data to the
monitoring device until the buffer is cleared .
Simple to Deploy
The Net Optics 10/100 to Triple-speed Port Aggregator is a simple plug-and-
play solution addressing the fact that many monitoring systems, including
most software-based solutions, only offer a single channel NIC, limiting full-
duplex visibility . While adding a second NIC can help maintain data integrity
and visibility, there is a trade-off in flexibility and ease-of-use. An operating
system and NICs that enable binding are often required to achieve the same
functionality as the Port Aggregator Tap . In contrast, the Port Aggregator Tap
requires no additional components or configuration on the monitoring devices.