Hello everybody! My name is Paul Dube and I have recently graduated from the University of Maine in Orono with a degree in Computer Science and joined the support team here at Plixer International. Over the course of the past few weeks I’ve been trying to learn everything there is to know about Scrutinizer, NetFlow, sFlow and network traffic analysis. During this process I’ve come across a lot of great resources that I would like to consolidate into one place to help you get started.
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If you put a price tag on network monitoring for your organization, what would it be? $10,000? $100,000? $1,000,000?

And what needs to be included in that price? Staff to support the network? Network Monitoring hardware and software? Office space to house the staff and equipment?
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Last week I blogged on Upgrading to Scrutinizer v7.2 NetFlow & sFlow Analyzer.

We have had such an overwhelming response from both existing and potential customers for this version of our network monitoring application that we are now sending the upgrade instructions to customers to allow them to upgrade at their leisure.

It has been very well received, as it now allows customers to schedule their upgrade to non-business hours if necessary. Also, for customers with secure servers without Internet access and unable to allow us to use remote access software (we use GoToMeeting), they can now perform the upgrade on their own and enjoy the new features of Scrutinizer.
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Now for something completely different . . . . .

I don’t know why but I got it in my head to reuse the Kcups in our office coffee machine. Don’t get me wrong the Keurig, single cup coffee maker is awesome. I have one at home, but I could never get over throwing the little cups away. Seemed a waste.

At home,  I have the reusable containers. This eliminates the need to use the prepackaged Kcups. After a quick Google search I found these little plastic lids that cover the Kcup, allowing you to reuse it. I figured that I could replicate that here in the office.

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

Follow me on Twitter
http://twitter.com/jimmydnet
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I use Wireshark all the time. In general, I just scratch the surface by using  it to test whether or not NetFlow is coming into Scrutinizer.

Golden Rule: Using an external third-party application, like Wireshark,  to test connectivity helps establish credibility in any situation.

Most people whom I speak with have a general understanding of what a packet capture is. The problem is, they don’t know how to gather or use the data once they have obtained it. So I thought I would do a little homework and find some resources that provide some basic Wireshark training for the busy IT professional.

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I was dealing with a client this morning who wanted to see a demonstration of CrossCheck, a plug-in for the Scrutinizer NetFlow analysis application. Normally, I fire up a remote session, like GoToMeeting, and give the demonstration. My client, being a large state government, had extensive restrictions on their network. The process to open and test ports would take weeks, and he needed to see the app quickly. I tried my best to explain the product, but lets face it, it’s not the same as seeing it in action. A remote connection was not going to be an option.

I really didn’t want to leave him hanging. He liked the product, but just didn’t grasp its value and functionality. A demo would fix this. So I decided to let him know that I would record a video and send it his way.

After a few minutes of reviewing my options, I decided to go with the easiest screen capturing utility that I could find, Jing. The process to record your own video presentation is simple, just follow these steps.

Step 1

Click on the yellow ball on the top of the screen

Step 2

Click on the plus sign to start your video.

Step 3

Select the section of the screen that you want recorded.

Now you record and make your presentation. Once you are done, press the stop button and save the file. The saved file is a flash SW file that can be viewed by opening it up in any browser.

That’s it! As you can see, it was simple, and I am pleased to report that the client was quite impressed. I hate to reference an over used and possible out of date saying but sometimes is pays to “think out of the box.”

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

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

Last month, I wrote a blog featuring the value of Flow Analytics entitled: Downadup/Conficker Worm caught by using Flow Analytics, NetFlow Analyzer. Flow Analytics is a great tool that provides you with many useful algorithms. Today, I’ll focus on one of them: the IP Address Violation algorithm.

The IP Address Violation algorithm allows you to define permissable subnets/ CIDR across your network. (Exp. 10.1.0.0/16). The IP Address Violation algorithm can alert you, via exported syslogs, if there is traffic generated from an IP address that is not part of an allowed subnet defined within the gadget. For example, this gadget would come in handy if someone installed a Linksys wireless router on your network that started to hand out DHCP addresses, or even a laptop with a static IP.

Here are some instructions on how to configure approved subnets for your network.

First find the Flow Analytics Overview gadget in your MyView window, then click on the plus sign where it says IP Address Violations.

In the drop-down row, click on the icon with the little people in it. (Guess we don’t have an official name for that icon.) A window will pop up called Allowed Subnets where you want to place the subnet and CIDR you want to allow on your network.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call Tech Support at 207-324-8805 Ext:4

Milton

Here at Plixer International, we take two things VERY seriously: Cisco NetFlow and coffee.

With the new releases of Plixer Scrutinizer v6.05 and Plixer Flow Analytics 2.0, we’ve all been a bit busy with our various responsibilities and what better to help us than copious amounts of coffee?

We used to drink the big old commercial buckets of Folgers Classic Roast, probably the same stuff that is your hand right now.

Mike Patterson, our Project Manager recently acquired a couple boxes full of different coffee flavors. The grounds are prepackaged into these little cups so each one makes a cup of coffee.

That is the perfect solution.

See, we drink so much coffee here that we can actually tell who made the last pot of Folgers. No lie:

- Jim makes his pots with 4, 5 or 6 well rounded scoops. This makes it SUPER strong and no amount of creamer will remove that ash taste from the roof of your mouth.

- Dale makes his with 3 leveled of scoops, which makes it mild and smooth. Jim hates Dale’s coffee.

- I generally made mine with 3 well rounded scoops, so that Jim would stop ranting about sissy coffee.

- Mitch just empties the pot and walks away, which is an office crime.

But now with the prepackaged little cups, everyone can have whatever they want.

There is Butter Toffee for those who have a sweet tooth and prefer a smoother blend. There’s also Classic Reserve, which just skips the stomach and goes straight to the blood stream. Development is digging that stuff pretty hard right now. I haven’t even tried the Hazelnut yet, so I’ll reserve judgment on that one.

So there’s our secret:

If you’ve ever wondered why our Sales and Help Desk contacts are vastly superior to any other company, then know it’s because we value you as a customer and we’ve had wayyyy too much coffee to drink…and THAT makes us very efficient.

Speaking of coffee to drink, gotta run!

-Nate

Did you know that you could create network maps for each of your locations (physical office or wiring closet) with Scrutinizer?  Did you know that you could plot your locations worldwide using Google maps?  Or integrate other vendor’s applications in Scrutinizer, to view device statistics with the click of a mouse? (click on mouse to test)

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We have been asked many times why the Flow Analytics module for Scrutinizer can only be installed by Plixer Technical Support engineers.

Well, it can be a simple and painless process, with the actual file download being the lengthiest step.  Or, with large networks, it can be near to a nightmare configuring the algorithms to complete in the time allotted.

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