port mirroring

Port mirroring configures the switch to copy all traffic associated with one or more ports to a designated monitor port. A packet bound for or heading away from the mirrored port is forwarded onto the monitor port as well. The monitor port can be connected to a network analyzer or RMON probe for packet analysis. Port mirroring is a method of monitoring network traffic that a network administrator uses as a diagnostic tool or debugging feature; it can be managed locally or remotely.