Patent ID: 6041042
Filing Date: 2000-03-21
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method of remote monitoring of a device port in a connectionless communications network having a plurality of IEEE 802 compliant devices coupled together, the method comprising steps of:selecting a first port of a first device to be monitored and from which to mirror MAC frame packets;selecting a second port of the first device to which to mirror the MAC frame packets;selecting a first port of a second device remotely located from the first device and connected to said connectionless communications network, said first and second devices being IEEE 802 compliant devices;selecting a second port of the second device and connecting an analyzer to the second port of the second device;mirroring the MAC frame packets from the first port of the first device to the second port of the first device;encapsulating the MAC frame packets of the first port of the first device by appending an IEEE 802 MAC header including an address of the second port of the second device;sending the encapsulated MAC frame packets through the connectionless communications network to a remote location of the second device; andmonitoring the first port of the first device by the MAC frame packets received at the second port of the second device by employing said analyzer.