Why is there a difference between reports that utilize NetOps Peformance Manager data (SNMP) and NetOps Network Flow Analysis (Netflow) data?
All NetOps Network Flow analysis versions
Data Collection Method:
Granularity:
Scope of Data:
Protocol and Traffic Types:
Overhead and Performance Impact:
Configuration and Setup:
Data Presentation:
Outbound Utilization Determination:
Visibility in Graphs and Reports:
Understanding these differences is crucial for effective network monitoring and troubleshooting, as each technology serves distinct purposes and provides unique insights into network behavior and performance.
First things first, let's make sure the NetFlow setup on the router is done right. Depending on which version of NetFlow we're using, there are different things we need to do:
Now, even if we've done everything correctly with NetFlow, we still need to understand that NetFlow and SNMP are two different technologies. They do similar jobs, but they do them in different ways. Because of this, they might not always tell us exactly the same things about what's happening on our network.
Here are a few things to consider when comparing the data we get from NetFlow with the data we get from SNMP:
Additionally, it's worth noting that not all hosts, conversations, protocols, etc., may be visible in graphs. This limitation is elaborated in the documentation available here.