Non-instrusive network surveillance and characterization

In a system (20) handles plural communication channels (26), pre-configured instrumentation code (50) is loaded into a common program memory. The instrumentation code (50) is used to generate a surveillance element (70). The surveillance element (70) comprises multi-dimensional execution criteria and executable surveillance code configured to cause performance by a target processor unit of a surveillance element-specified surveillance action. The surveillance element (70) is executed by the target processor unit with respect to the respective subset of plural communication channels and permits continued transport of data over the plural communication channels.