Patent ID: 8064350

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving, at a protocol analysis controller device, one or more protocol analysis request messages via a network from a user system, wherein the one or more protocol analysis request messages comprise at least one filter parameter that identifies a protocol, among a plurality of protocols, to be analyzed by a plurality of multipurpose interface devices; transmitting, to the plurality of multipurpose interface devices, one or more control signals based on the one or more protocol analysis request messages, wherein each multipurpose interface device is communicatively coupled to a node in a test network, and wherein each multipurpose interface device is configured to capture data traffic transmitted on the test network based on the one or more control signals; receiving, from the plurality of multipurpose interface devices, protocol analysis data associated with the data traffic transmitted on the test network in response to the transmitted control signals; and outputting, to the user system, the protocol analysis data via the network.