LevelOne GTL-2691 - Manual (Page 189)

C HAPTER 5 | Interface Configuration
Sampling Traffic Flows
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Figure 54: Configuring Load Balancing
S
AMPLING
T
RAFFIC
F
LOWS
The flow sampling (sFlow) feature embedded on this switch, together with
a remote sFlow Collector, can provide network administrators with an
accurate, detailed and real-time overview of the types and levels of traffic
present on their network. The sFlow Agent samples 1 out of n packets from
all data traversing the switch, re-encapsulates the samples as sFlow
datagrams and transmits them to the sFlow Collector. This sampling occurs
at the internal hardware level where all traffic is seen, whereas traditional
probes will only have a partial view of traffic as it is sampled at the
monitored interface. Moreover, the processor and memory load imposed by
the sFlow agent is minimal since local analysis does not take place. The
wire-speed transmission characteristic of the switch is thus preserved even
at high traffic levels.
As the Collector receives streams from the various sFlow agents (other
switches or routers) throughout the network, a timely, network-wide
picture of utilization and traffic flows is created. Analysis of the sFlow
stream(s) can reveal trends and information that can be leveraged in the
following ways:
◆ Detecting, diagnosing, and fixing network problems
◆ Real-time congestion management
◆ Understanding application mix (P2P, Web, DNS, etc.) and changes
◆ Identification and tracing of unauthorized network activity
◆ Usage accounting
◆ Trending and capacity planning