Network packet brokers are monitoring infrastructure devices that sit between network infrastructure and the management and security tools layer. Each infrastructure component, such as a router or a switch, provides a copy of traffic and/or data from a switch port analyzer (SPAN) port that tools analyze as part of a data set. To enable access to all traffic, not just a sample, network terminal access point (TAP) devices can also be used as part of the network infrastructure to access the traffic from the network. Without an NPB, each infrastructure component would need to be plugged into every tool. This is unrealistic, as the number of ports required, even in a small network, makes the deployment so overwhelmingly complex that it would be unmanageable, if not impossible.
ZK Research: How to Build a Solid Business Case for the Purchase of a Next-Generation Network Packet Broker
