Netflow
Netflow is a network protocol developed by Cisco. It is responsible for collecting data related to the network traffic that flows through it. It collects information such as Destination and Source IP addresses and ports, protocols used in communication, total data transferred, and the network interface user for this purpose. The following figure illustrates the architecture of Netflow:
Netflow architecture
The flow cache can contain records from a few thousands up to millions. It depends on the type of device that is being used for the Flow cache. After the record in the flow cache expires, it will then transfer that record to the Netflow collector for further analysis. The following figure illustrates this concept:
Netflow collector opertion
Netflow can be embedded in the device hardware or can be presented as a software package. It can be used in real time. It is not used just for network-monitoring purposes; it can also be used to do the following:
- Monitor a specific application's...
