Configure Flow Collection

You can process and export multiple cflowd records with a flow collector interface. You create a flow collector interface on a Monitoring Services PIC. The flow collector interface combines multiple cflowd records into a compressed ASCII data file and exports the file to an FTP server. To convert a Monitoring Services PIC into a flow collector interface, include the flow-collector statement at the [edit chassis fpc fpc-slot pic pic-slot monitoring-services application] hierarchy level. You can use the Monitoring Services PIC for either flow collection or monitoring, but not for both types of service simultaneously. When converting the PIC between service types, you must configure the flow-collector statement, take the PIC offline, and then bring the PIC back online. Restarting the router does not enable the new service type.

A flow collector interface, designated by the cp-fpc/pic/port interface name, requires three logical interfaces for correct operation. Units 0 and 1 are used to send the compressed ASCII data files to an FTP server, while Unit 2 is used to receive cflowd records from a monitoring services interface.

NOTE: Unlike conventional interfaces, the address statement at the [edit interfaces cp-fpc/pic/port unit unit-number family inet] hierarchy level corresponds to the IP address of the Routing Engine. Likewise, the destination statement at the [edit interfaces cp-fpc/pic/port unit unit-number family inet address ip-address] hierarchy level corresponds to the IP address of the flow collector interface. As a result, you must configure the destination statement for Unit 0 and 1 with local addresses that can reach the FTP server. Similarly, configure the destination statement for Unit 2 with a local IP address so it can reach the monitoring services interface that sends cflowd records.

To activate flow collector services after the Monitoring Services PIC is converted into a flow collector, include the flow-collector statement at the [edit services] hierarchy level. After you activate the flow collector, you need to configure the following components:

• Destination of the FTP server
• File specifications
• Input interface-to-flow collector interface mappings
• Transfer log settings

To configure flow collection, you include the following statements at the [edit services] hierarchy level of the configuration:

[edit services]

flow-collector {

    analyzer-address address;

    analyzer-id name;

    destinations {

        ftp:url {

            password "password";

    }

    file-specification {

        variant variant-number {

            data-format format;

            name-format format;

            transfer {

                record-level number;

                timeout seconds;

            }

        }

    }

    interface-map {

        collector interface-name;

        file-specification variant-number;

        interface-name {

            file-specification variant-number;

            collector interface-name;

        }

    }

    retry number;

    retry-delay seconds;

    transfer-log {

        destinations {

            ftp:url {

                password "password";

                username username;

            }

        }

        filename "file-name";

        interval minutes;

        maximum-size number;

    }

}

This chapter contains the following sections:

• Configure Flow Collection Properties
• Send cflowd Records to the Flow Collector Interface
• Enable Flow Collection Mode and Interface
• Example: Flow Collector Interface Configuration