Solution brief

January 2017

FlowMETER is a passive metering function and reporting engine—available through the SkyLIGHT™ platform—that measures throughput (min, max, average) and packet statistics in a very granular fashion. It can be enabled at any location where an Accedian small form factor Performance Module is installed, for reporting as granular as every second—or every ten milliseconds on any Accedian FSX Network Element.

Granular, Shared Filters Similar—but much more basic—monitoring is traditionally performed using interface counters on network routers, which are limited to 5-minute intervals for a specific port. By contrast, not only does FlowMETER monitor and report at a much more granular level, but its complex 7-tuple capture and reporting filter set can be used to monitor thousands of concurrent flows, network-wide, as well as the bandwidth used by each type of traffic.

FlowMETER filters go beyond 5-tuple, into an expanded 7-tuple feature set

These filters are shared across the SkyLIGHT solution suite, making all layer quality of service (QoS) and quality of experience (QoE) troubleshooting practical with efficient diagnosis and service delivery.

The same traffic filters are used across the SkyLIGHT suite for bandwidth utilization monitoring (FlowMETER),

remote packet capture (FlowBROKER™), and other bandwidth policing and service mapping functions.

FlowMETER and FlowBROKER™: Complementary Roles FlowMETER can be implemented as a continuous monitoring solution for flow data, and is well-suited to be complemented by FlowBROKER if abnormal bandwidth utilization is detected, warranting further troubleshooting.

FlowMETER Distributed Utilization Monitoring Continuous monitoring and ubiquitous visibility come together

TM

FlowMETER’s high-resolution tools empower operators with rapid fault

detection, localization, and root cause analysis. Automating the triggered

FlowBROKER capture could be done through

third-party analyzers thresholding FlowMETER

data.

2 Solution Brief • FlowMETERTM Distributed Utilization Monitoring • 1Q 2017

Protecting the Network FlowMETER is also a security tool to keep an eye on suspicious traffic activity (e.g. malicious or misconfigured traffic, or broadcast storms) at every location where it’s enabled.

FlowMETER Applications Video Delivery Monitoring As a distributed means of achieving QoE visibility, FlowMETER is well-suited for video delivery monitoring because it provides a complete picture of what’s going on, and minimizes mean time to repair (MTTR).

By monitoring bandwidth usage for multicast traffic generically, or single multicast groups specifically, operators can easily assess IPTV delivery to any point in the network where a FlowMETER-enabled module is installed. This capability is enhanced by FlowBROKER packet capture. For example, targeted captures of IGMP signalling can help identify underlying issues causing delivery disruptions.

Flexible and Powerful

• Filter out specific flows or types of traffic

• Monitor and report bandwidth usage down to every second

• Detect and locate microburst issues

• Deliver near real-time metrics via northbound interfaces

Operators can use FlowMETER to optimize QoE for video services

Key Features

• Install in line or out-of-line, on a SPAN or mirror port.

• Flex Monitor Mode allows FlowMETER to behave like two devices with one listening port and a separate management port.

3 Solution Brief • FlowMETERTM Distributed Utilization Monitoring • 1Q 2017

Financial Compliance and Analytics FlowMETER is a cost-efficient, network-embedded instrumentation solution for trade flow analysis, logging, and reporting. In this capacity, it provides granular network QoS monitoring (microburst and gap detection); and real-time, one-way latency and packet loss reporting—features that ensure complete QoS visibility.

In this application, FlowMETER can be used to detect microburst issues by slicing usage stats into 1-second intervals—an effective way to identify periodic utilization issues or monitor latency. (Depending on the specific case, this may require enabling it on an FSX Element rather than a Performance Module).

Practical Bandwidth Metering and Reporting FlowMETER provides a flexible, granular way to achieve network-wide per-flow bandwidth utilization measurements. It provides per-flow monitoring for throughput and packet statistics. And, it is deployable at any location where an Accedian Performance Module is installed. This flexible, powerful solution is useful for applications like video delivery monitoring, network security, and financial compliance and analytics.

Bringing together continuous monitoring and ubiquitous visibility, FlowMETER is complemented by Accedian’s FlowBROKER for further troubleshooting when abnormal bandwidth utilization is detected.

© 2017 Accedian Networks Inc. All rights reserved.

Accedian, the Accedian logo, ant Module, airMODULE, FlowBROKER, FlowMETER, Nano Module, Network State+, Plug & Go, SkyLIGHT, VisionMETRIX, and Vision Module are trademarks or registered trademarks of Accedian Networks, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective companies. Accedian may, from time to time, make changes to the products or specifications contained herein without notice. Some certifications may be pending final approval, please contact Accedian for current certifications.

FlowMETER for continuous microburst detection, combined with FlowBROKER capture for transaction data (MiFID II), provides a complete monitoring solution for financial service providers.