Overview of the Junos Telemetry Interface
As the number of objects on the network and the metrics they generate have grown, the traditional models, such as SNMP, used to gather operational statistics for monitoring the health of a network, have imposed limits on network element scale and efficiency. The so-called pull model used by SNMP and the CLI, which requires additional processing to periodically poll the network element, directly limits scaling.
The Junos Telemetry Interface (JTI) overcomes these limits by relying on a so-called push model to deliver data asynchronously, which eliminates polling. A request to send data is sent once by a management station to stream periodic updates. As a result, JTI is highly scalable and can support the monitoring of thousands of objects in a network.
Junos Telemetry Interface was introduced in Junos OS Release 15.1F3, on MX Series routers with interfaces configured on MPC1 through MPC6E, and on PTX Series routers with interfaces configured on FPC3. Starting in Junos OS Release 15.1F5, Junos Telemetry Interface is also supported on MPC7E, MPC8E, and MPC9E on MX Series routers.
Starting with Junos OS Release 16.1R3, FPC1, FPC2, and dual Routing Engines on PTX Series routers are also supported.
Starting with Junos OS Release 17.2R1, QFX10002, QFX10008, and QFX10016 switches, QFX5200 switches, and PTX1000 and PTX10008 routers are also supported. QFX5200 swtiches support only gRPC sensors.
Starting with Junos OS Release 17.3R1, QFX5110 switches, EX4600, EX4600-VC, and EX9200 switches, and the Routing and Control Board (RCB) on PTX3000 routers are also supported. QFX5110 switches support only gRPC sensors.
Starting with Junos OS Release 17.4R1, PTX10016 routers and virtual MX Series (vMX) routers are supported.
Starting with Junos OS Release 18.2R1, PTX10002 routers are also supported.
Telemetry Sensors and Data Models
The Junos Telemetry Interface enables you to provision sensors to collect and export data for various system resources, such as physical interfaces and firewall filters. Two data models, each of which uses a different mode of transport, are supported:
An open and extensible data model defined by Juniper Networks. Data is generated as Google protocol buffers (gpb) structured messages. The files that define each
.protomessage are published on the Juniper Networks web site. Native sensors export data close to the source, such as the line card or network processing unit (NPU), using the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). Because this model features a distributed architecture, it scales easily.An OpenConfig data model that generates data as gpb messages in a universal key/value format. OpenConfig for Junos OS, which you must download, supports the YANG data models. gRPC remote procedure calls (gRPC) are used to provision sensors and to subscribe to and receive telemetry data. gRPC is based on TCP, and supports SSL encryption, so it is considered secure and reliable. If your Juniper Networks device is running a version of Junos OS with the upgraded FreeBSD kernel, this model requires you to download the Junos Network Agent package, which runs on the Routing Engine and provides interfaces to manage gRPC subscriptions. For other versions of Junos OS, Network Agent functionality is embedded in the software.Starting in Junos OS Release 18.2R1, OpenConfig-based routing engine (RE) sensors can stream data as gpb structured messages over UDP.
Uses and Benefits
One primary function of the Junos Telemetry Interface is performance monitoring. Streaming data to a performance management system enables network administrators to measure trends in link and node utilization, and troubleshoot such issues as network congestion in real time.
In a typical deployment, the network element, or device, streams duplicate data to two destination servers that function as performance management system collectors. Streaming data to two collectors provides redundancy. See Figure 1 for an illustration of how the performance management system collectors request data and how the device streams data. The device provisions sensors to collect and export data using command-line interface (CLI), configuration through NETCONF, or gRPC subscription calls. The collectors request data by initiating a telemetry subscription. Data is requested only once and is streamed periodically.
Starting in Junos OS
Release 18.1R1, a new sensor is available that allows syslog data
to be streamed to network telemetry collector systems. Using the /junos/events/ sensor, and an export profile with a reporting-rate of 0, you can now stream event data along with
statistical data to your telemetry-collection systems.
Other applications of the Junos Telemetry Interface include providing real-time data to support operational state synchronization between a network element and an external controller, such as the Northstar Controller, which automates the creation of traffic-engineering paths across the network. The NorthStar Controller can subscribe to telemetry data about certain network elements, such as label-switched path (LSP) statistics.