Network analysis starts with getting actionable data in a reliable and secure way. While there are many ways to capture packets on a live network, there are often serious downsides, such as packet loss, out of order packets, or the use of devices that can be used in man-in-the-middle attacks. All of this directly impacts the quality of analysis and the security of the network itself. A best practice here is to deploy network TAPs (test access points) as the key method for accessing network traffic. TAPs are hardware devices deployed at key locations between two points in network infrastructure, such as routers, switches, or firewalls, where data access is needed for monitoring or troubleshooting purposes. In a virtual environment, a virtual TAP, or vTAP, is installed on the virtualized server, providing full access and visibility into the east-west traffic flows.

Purpose built, network TAPs are more reliable than switch port analyzer (SPAN) ports, particularly at high data rates. Network TAPs offer significant advantages over the use of SPAN ports to monitor the network, such as providing access to packets of all sizes and types at wire speed, delivering an exact copy of all traffic to the monitoring ports, and isolating monitoring devices from the network to mitigate the risk of data breaches.

Network TAPs enable you to:

• Achieve complete access and visibility across your physical and virtual networks
• Obtain fail-safe, permanent in-line network access to live traffic in high-speed networks
• Protect the network link availability for in-line security tools
• Eliminate the risk of single points of failure in accessing the network traffic
• Deliver lossless traffic aggregation from multiple in-line links or out-of-band connections