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The LARK is available with different rear interface configurations. All configurations serve the same two roles described on the network interfaces page, connectivity and ingress, but they differ in the mix of fiber and copper interfaces provided. This page describes the available configurations so that an appliance’s configuration can be identified and connected correctly.
The rear configuration affects only the physical media connected to, fiber or copper, and the number of each. It does not change how the appliance operates or how it is set up. An appliance’s configuration is listed on its delivery record.

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Interface types

Regardless of configuration, the rear panel combines two kinds of physical interface:

Fiber (SFP+)

SFP+ cages that accept fiber optics. Fiber is well suited to the TAP Ingress Port, where higher-rate monitored traffic arrives, and to longer runs. Optics and fiber media must match on both ends of the link.

Copper (RJ45)

Standard RJ45 interfaces for copper connections. Copper is typically used for connectivity to a switch or a directly connected laptop.

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The TAP Ingress Port

In every configuration, one rear interface is designated as the TAP Ingress Port, through which all incoming traffic to be monitored enters the appliance. In most configurations this is a fiber (SFP+) interface, as monitored traffic is commonly delivered over fiber from a TAP or an aggregator. The delivery record identifies which interface is the TAP Ingress Port on a given appliance. In all configurations, the TAP Ingress Port receives a copy of traffic from a TAP or a switch SPAN (mirror) port and never carries production traffic inline. The network capture setup page describes how traffic is delivered to it.

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Available configurations

The specific rear configurations offered are listed below. The interface counts, media types, and ingress designation for each configuration are to be confirmed before publication and adjusted to match the configurations actually shipped.
Each configuration is described by the number and type of interfaces it provides and by which interface serves as the TAP Ingress Port. A representative example is shown below to illustrate the format:
A common configuration provides a set of fiber (SFP+) interfaces alongside a set of copper (RJ45) interfaces. One fiber interface is designated as the TAP Ingress Port for monitored traffic. The remaining interfaces are available for connectivity to a switch or a directly connected laptop.
  • Ingress: one fiber (SFP+) interface
  • Connectivity: remaining fiber and copper interfaces
An appliance’s configuration can be identified from its delivery record, or by inspecting the rear panel and noting the number of fiber (SFP+) cages and copper (RJ45) ports present.