As we approach the end of 2011, I’d like to take this time to recap some major advances in NetFlow & IPFIX reporting.
Several notable NetFlow developments for 2011 from Cisco Networks are:
- Medianet Network Performance Monitoring
- Cisco TrustSec (CTS) NetFlow support
- Cisco Smart Logging and Telemetry (SLT)
Full Medianet reporting support is available with the Scrutinizer NetFlow Analyzer including VoIP monitoring of latency, jitter, and packet loss.
Cisco TrustSec tells you who and what is connecting to your network and controls what they can do and where they can go while they are there. And with that data available in NetFlow exports, the TrustSec reporting and alerting capabilities are limitless.
Cisco Smart Logging and Telemetry: This new technology exports NetFlow messages for traffic that is associated to a specific event on a switch (for example, an event triggered by an ACL-permitted or -denied packet).
A highlight for Plixer International is the inclusion of Scrutinizer NetFlow Analyzer in SonicWALL’s Application Traffic Analytics software suite, which combines a SonicWALL Next-Generation Firewall and SonicWALL Scrutinizer. With the IPFIX/NetFlow data exported by SonicWALL firewalls, additional IPFIX reporting is available for NetFlow Analysis: Intrusions, Spyware, URLs, Users, Virus, and VoIP monitoring.
While I’m on the subject of IPFIX reporting, Plixer International also developed an IPFIX exporting agent for Microsoft Exchange Servers, called Mailinizer, which provides email tracking and reporting from your mail server. Just proves how flexible IPFIX has become and what the future may hold for IPFIX development.
So then, how does one qualify the benefits of NetFlow reporting?
Let’s take the following two examples:
NetFlow analysis provided a sizable ROI for Parmalat Australia by helping them determine what was causing chronic bandwidth saturation and prevent from having to keep increasing bandwidth to accommodate the usage.
Allo Communications in Nebraska had similar issues with bandwidth hogs and were able to reduce on-site technician visits with the use of NetFlow monitoring and reporting.
Okay, then, how do you maximize the NetFlow analysis benefits? With NetFlow training! And Plixer International has made this training readily available, from the FlowFest Advanced NetFlow Training™ event held in July 2011, to free NetFlow training webinars on subjects like monitoring Social Networking traffic.
The free NetFlow webinars have been very well attended and received, as was the FlowFest training last summer. In fact, it has now become an annual event, with FlowFest 2012 coming up in February 2012.
So, without further ado:
