Cisco Cisco NetFlow Collector 6.0 Design Guide
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NetFlow Solutions Guide
The NetFlow Services Solutions Guide contains the following sections:
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Introduction
Rapid growth of IP networks has created interest in new business applications and services. These new
services have resulted in increases in demand for network bandwidth, performance, and predictable
quality of service as well as VoIP, multimedia and security oriented network services. Simultaneously,
the need has emerged for measurement technology to support this growth by efficiently providing the
information required to record network and application resource utilization. Cisco's IOS NetFlow
provides solutions for each of these challenges.
services have resulted in increases in demand for network bandwidth, performance, and predictable
quality of service as well as VoIP, multimedia and security oriented network services. Simultaneously,
the need has emerged for measurement technology to support this growth by efficiently providing the
information required to record network and application resource utilization. Cisco's IOS NetFlow
provides solutions for each of these challenges.
This white paper is an overview of NetFlow benefits and includes technical overview of features, details
about the NetFlow cache, export formats and NetFlow operation.
about the NetFlow cache, export formats and NetFlow operation.
NetFlow Definitions and Benefits
NetFlow traditionally enables several key customer applications including:
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Network Monitoring—NetFlow data enables extensive near real time network monitoring
capabilities. Flow-based analysis techniques may be utilized to visualize traffic patterns associated
with individual routers and switches as well as on a network-wide basis (providing aggregate traffic
or application based views) to provide proactive problem detection, efficient troubleshooting, and
rapid problem resolution.
capabilities. Flow-based analysis techniques may be utilized to visualize traffic patterns associated
with individual routers and switches as well as on a network-wide basis (providing aggregate traffic
or application based views) to provide proactive problem detection, efficient troubleshooting, and
rapid problem resolution.