Patent ID: 8131840

Claim:
A data stream analysis tool for analyzing a data stream processing device that processes packets of data in a data stream, performs one or both of transmission and receipt of data streams of packets of data, and includes a multi-layer networking stack, one layer of the multi-layer networking stack being a physical interface layer operatively associated with a network communication channel through which packets of data are communicated to and from the physical interface layer, the data stream analysis tool comprising: real-time capture hardware; a real-time capture hardware interface operatively associated with the real-time capture hardware and configured for operative association with the data stream processing device to deliver packets of data from the physical interface layer to the real-time capture hardware, the delivered packets of data including one or more packets of data communicated through the network communication channel, and the real-time capture hardware responsive to a processing control command to perform processing of the delivered packets of data in parallel to the processing of packets of data by the data stream processing device; design logic configured for data communication access to the multi-layer networking stack, the design logic including comparison logic arranged to detect a user-selected value associated with one of the packets included in the delivered packets of data and, in response to detection of the user-selected value, the design logic stopping the communication of the packets of data, thereby allowing the real-time capture hardware to regulate flow of the packets of data between the network communication channel and the multi-layer networking stack; and a data communication system operatively associated with the real-time capture hardware to deliver to the real-time capture hardware user input that selects for analysis one or more of the delivered packets of data.