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5. Use a drag-and-drop operation to connect a network port to a tool port.
Successful connections are represented by lines between the ports and the appearance of an empty rule.
The empty rule is a placeholder for introducing options such as filtering.
6. Use a drag-and-drop operation to connect another tool port to the same rule.
This step is repeatable, so connecting additional tool ports to the rule is possible. Each additional tool port
being connected to the rule creates another replicated traffic stream.
Identical post-processed traffic is now being forwarded to each connected tool port. Replication such as this
provides different tools with the same traffic.
Understanding network traffic replication
When traffic replication is used, a single data stream is copied and forwarded to multiple tool ports. Replication
is necessary for providing identical traffic to different tools.
Traffic replication produces one or more copies of network traffic. In its simplest form, the Matrix is replicating
network traffic just by
connecting one network port to one tool port (page
port is replicated and forwarded to the connected tool port—this is traffic replication. The concept is similar to
the use of
network
TAPs.
Use traffic replication to send the same traffic to many tools. When different tools need access to the same live
traffic, some form of replication is necessary. Replication is achievable by using the Matrix, network TAPs, or
SPAN/mirror
ports. The Matrix can produce many more copies of network traffic than these alternatives typically
allow. Plus, the tools receiving the replicated traffic can be
Replicated traffic is always post-processed traffic. Traffic forwarded to tool ports is always traffic processed by a
rule (page
20). The rule may be empty (pass through all traffic) or have active options like
40),
filtering (page
23), and
remains after the rule operates.
Avoid traffic replication when load balancing is active in the rule. Remember, the purpose of replication is to
make identical copies of traffic. Load balancing produces the opposite effect: it creates a different stream for
each tool port. For this reason, traffic replication cannot occur while
connecting rule.
more (page
6). In either case, the traffic sent to tool ports is always the traffic that
17). The traffic arriving at the network
switched in real-time using layouts (page
load balancing is active (page 37)
Understanding network traffic replication | 33
15).
deduplication (page
in the
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