Looking for a reliable bandwidth utilization NetFlow billing system?  If you are already using Cisco NetFlow technology for network monitoring and management, then it’s just one more simple step to extending that to bandwidth billing.

Using the Service Provider Module for Scrutinizer NetFlow & sFlow Analyzer and a customized Billing Module, you can monitor the bandwidth usage of your customers and also provide  a data export to your current billing application.

The Service Provider Module allows you to restrict your customers to view specific devices and/or interfaces in Scrutinizer. The “Scrutinizer v7 NetFlow and sFlow Analyzer: Using the Service Provider Module” blog has more information on this module’s features.

The Billing Module is a customized solution using the enhanced features of the Service Provider Module ad importing that data into your billing application.

A custom data file (i.e. saved report filter) is created and exported every hour, giving the most granular data (1 minute intervals) available. The data file can include but is not limited to:

• Time Stamp
• Rate: bytes / second
• Peak: same as above when reporting at 1 minute intervals
• Totals: total bytes per minute

Any NetFlow or sFlow exported field can be included (bits, packets, percent, IP/MAC addresses, VLAN ID, applications, ToS, Autonomous System, etc.) if required.  The billing application or script can then read in the files exported by Scrutinizer at a definable interval.

You should also know that Flexible NetFlow using a Permanent Cache can also be used for importing data into your billing application.

If your billing application is based on 95th percentile measurements, this information is also available in the Traffic Volume report displayed below.

95th percentile billing allows for the top 5% of spikes in a given period to be dropped from the utilization reported.  In the example above, 95th percentile for Inbound is 99.78% and Outbound is 24.81%.  This report is based on a one hour timeframe, providing both Inbound and Outbound traffic for the T1 interface.

Interested in using Scrutinizer to get the data for your bandwidth billing?  Contact Plixer Sales at 207-324-8805 x3 for more information on this custom solution.

- Joanne

Scrutinizer v7.6 has been released.  One of my favorite features is the ability to rename NetFlow v9 templates, IPFIX templates and Flexible NetFlow Templates. We had to provide this feature since Cisco NetFlow does not export the template name.  Do you know why this is such a cool feature? Read more »

Michael Patterson
Scrutinizer Product Manager
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SUNY Geneseo Network Manager Rick Coloccia found that analyzing Cisco NetFlow packets was the key to network traffic management and monitoring internet use and abuse.

Using Scrutinizer NetFlow Analyzer, he was able to respond to the RIAA’s (Recording Industry Association of America) allegations of students illegally downloading or sharing of music.
Read more »

Thinking outside of the box can produce some innovative ideas.

While the network maps in Scrutinizer can make the traffic flow on your network easier to visualize and congested links quicker to spot, adding more visual definition to your maps will make them more user friendly and understandable by more members of your organization.

So how do you spice up your NetFlow data and breathe some life into your network utilization maps? Try combining a tool created for home design with a network monitoring tool to create incredible network maps.

Read more »

If you missed the NetFlow training webinars Plixer offered over the last three days, then feel free to watch the recording we made of Thursday’s presentation. The webinar, which covered Cisco ASA and NBAR NetFlow reporting, was presented by Scrutinizer NetFlow & sFlow Analyzer Product Manager, Michael Patterson.

As always, keep an eye out for emails from Plixer for future webinar invitations. We also try to post many of these signups on our blog. Thanks for watching!

Jon Mills
Marketing & Public Relations Manager
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Late last week, we announced the version 7.2 release of Scrutinizer NetFlow & sFlow Analyzer, which includes data migration from Scrutinizer v6.

If you’re currently running version 7 of Plixer’s NetFlow analysis tool, then moving to v7.2 is a simple incremental upgrade.

However, for those customers who have been waiting anxiously to upgrade from version 6.x to v7, this is a major release and we want to make sure that using this network monitoring tool remains as pleasant an experience as ever.

For that reason, among others, we are assisting with the upgrades from Scrutinizer v6.x to v7.2 in these first few weeks of this release. And so far, it has been a relatively seamless process with delighted customers as a result.

Read more »

If you are running Scrutinizer v7.01, the Cisco ASA interfaces don’t show up in the Status tab yet. It was a philosophical decision. Here’s why:

The ASA running v8.2.1 exports bidirectional NetFlow!  This is unlike anything else we’ve seen.  In nearly all NetFlow exports v5, v9, IPFIX etc. flows are exported in one direction (i.e. A -> B and then a separate flow for B -> A).   This is true for ingress or egress NetFlow. For Example: lets say A -> B creates a flow of 200KB.  Then in return:  B -> A causes a 2nd flow of 40KB. Well, the developers of the ASA decided to be unique and add the two flows together and export A -> B 240KB!!!!  The two added to each other is called a bidirectional flow.

Because of this, when we calculate the percent utilization using NetFlow (i.e. not SNMP) by adding the total flows together we overstate InBound/OutBound utilization in the Status tab. We are talking with Cisco about this unconventional export method. We have no definitive news yet.

NOTE: The ASA also doesn’t support an Active Timeout causing huge spikes in the graphs and thus making network traffic analysis kind of tricky when traffic that occurred over several minutes shows up in a single minute!

If you are seeing some screwy results with ASA and NSEL, the above is why. Anyway, everyone can blame Mike for not sticking the data in the Status tab!

Here is a pic of our  ASA:

Need help configuring NetFlow export from the ASA?  You can also setup NetFlow exports up using Cisco ASDM. Make sure you have watched the Cisco ASA and NetFlow training video.

____________________________________
Jim Dougherty aka "Jimmy D"
Lead PreSales Support Engineer and
Netflow Evangelist for Plixer International!

Follow me on Twitter
http://twitter.com/jimmydnet
____________________________________

Is your network compromised? Network scans, illegal applications? Want to view the top ten Conversations across your network? How about setting DNS resolution to occur automatically on a regular basis? Or send a syslog when a set threshold is exceeded based on criteria set in a saved report?

With Scrutinizer v7 and Flow Analytics as your network management tool, all of the above can easily be managed and reported on.

Read more »

The Russian Business Network (commonly abbreviated as RBN) is a multi-faceted cybercrime organization, specializing in and in some cases monopolizing personal identity theft for resale.

Family Business Robbed On-Line
Patco Construction a family owned company was impacted by a cyber crime that may have involved the RBN. Read more »

Michael Patterson
Scrutinizer Product Manager
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Another of the webcast training modules is Using the Service Provider Module for the Scrutinizer NetFlow and sFlow Analyzer v7 release.

This webcast steps you through adding and configuring new user accounts, including setting up user preferences. These user preferences include selecting the language that you would like the web interface to display in. The language selection is at the user level, so each user in your organization could display with their own language. Several languages are currently available, more to be added in future releases of our NetFlow analysis tool.
Read more »