Patent ID: 8717901

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, at a network captured traffic distribution device communicatively coupled to a stacked topology of network captured traffic distribution devices, a traffic flow of captured data packets, wherein the captured data packets are received via at least one of a mirror port resident on a source of the captured data packets and a traffic capture point located along a communication link between two communicating devices and the network captured traffic distribution device includes a plurality of ingress and egress ports; determining, by the network captured traffic distribution device, a target destination of a captured data packet included in the received traffic flow of captured data packets; determining, by the network captured traffic distribution device, a plurality of routes through the stacked topology from the network captured traffic distribution device to the target destination; analyzing, by the network captured traffic distribution device, each of the plurality of determined routes; selecting, by the network captured traffic distribution device, an optimum route from the plurality of determined routes based on the analysis; and transmitting, by the network captured traffic distribution device, the captured data packet toward the target destination via the selected optimum route; evaluating operating conditions of each of the plurality of determined routes of the stacked topology and the optimum route is selected based on the operating conditions of each of the plurality of determined routes; determining a link speed for each route included in the plurality of routes; determining a level of congestion for each route included in the plurality of routes; determining whether each route included in the plurality of routes is operational; determining a load balanced route through the stacked topology; and determining a load spread route through the stacked topology.