• SonicOS and SonicOSX 7
• Flow Reporting
  • Statistics
    • External Flow Reporting Statistics
    • Internal AppFlow Reporting Statistics
    • Total IPFIX Statistics
  • Settings
    • Settings Configuration
    • Local Server Settings
    • Other Report Settings
  • AppFlow Agent
  • External Collector
  • SFR Mailing
    • SFR Email Settings
    • Scheduling SFR Reports by Email
      • Scheduling One-Time Delivery of the SFR
      • Scheduling Recurring Delivery of the SFR
      • Deleting Scheduled Reports
  • NetFlow Activation and Deployment Information
  • User Configuration Tasks
    • Configuring NetFlow Version 5
    • Configuring NetFlow Version 9
    • Configuring IPFIX (NetFlow Version 10)
    • Configuring IPFIX with Extensions
    • Configuring AppFlow Agent to Include Logs Through IPFIX
    • Configuring Netflow with Extensions with SonicWall Scrutinizer
  • NetFlow Tables
    • Static Tables
    • Dynamic Tables
    • Templates
      • NetFlow Version 5
      • NetFlow Version 9
      • IPFIX (NetFlow Version 10)
      • IPFIX with Extensions
• AppFlow Agent
  • Connecting to an AppFlow Agent
    • Basic Mode
    • Advanced Mode
• SonicWall Support
  • About This Document

NetFlow Activation and Deployment Information

SonicWall recommends careful planning of NetFlow deployment with NetFlow services activated on strategically located edge/aggregation routers that capture the data required for planning, monitoring and accounting applications. Key deployment considerations include the following:

• Understanding your application-driven data collection requirements: accounting applications might only require originating and terminating router flow information whereas monitoring applications might require a more comprehensive (data intensive) end-to-end view.
• Understanding the impact of network topology and routing policy on flow collection strategy: for example, avoid collecting duplicate flows by activating NetFlow on key aggregation routers where traffic originates or terminates and not on backbone routers or intermediate routers that would provide duplicate views of the same flow information.
• NetFlow can be implemented in the SonicOS/X management interface to understand the number of flow in the network and the impact on the router. NetFlow export can then be setup at a later date to complete the NetFlow deployment.

NetFlow is, in general, an ingress measurement technology that should be deployed on appropriate interfaces on edge/aggregation or WAN access routers to gain a comprehensive view of originating and terminating traffic to meet customer needs for accounting, monitoring or network planning data. The key mechanism for enhancing NetFlow data volume manageability is careful planning of NetFlow deployment. NetFlow can be deployed incrementally (that is, interface by interface) and strategically (that is, on well-chosen routers) —instead of widespread deployment of NetFlow on every router in the network.