Glossary

baseline

A baseline is a record of typical behavior, which is computed from past behavior. Baselines help you compare changes over time, which can be used to predict future data or performance. Comparing current values to baseline projections is useful for determining whether current values are typical. The baseline in a trend plot is computed using data from six weeks preceding the selected date range, excluding the data point already in the trend plot.

conversation

A conversation is a session of subnet-to-subnet or user-to-user (host-to-host) traffic. The NFA console displays conversation information, so you can find out whether a particular conversation is causing a traffic spike on an interface, for example. You can create and run reports to identify the top volume-based conversations.

drill down

To drill down is to navigate from one data view to another, more detailed data view or context page. The new page displays data from the same time frame, for the same managed item or set of items. You can drill down to details in CA Network Flow Analysis from views in CA Performance Center.

filter

A filter in a report is a set of selection criteria that are used to focus a report on the desired data.

flow

A flow is a set of IP packets that pass a network observation point during a certain time interval. In CA Network Flow Analysis 9.1.1, flow may consist of NetFlow v5, v7, or v9; sFlow version 5; or IPFIX, Jflow, cFlow, or Huawei NetStream flow that conforms to the standards for NetFlow v5, v7, or v9.

host

A host is a specific computer engaged in an exchange across the network. In some cases, a host represents a managed services provider whose IT staff manage and monitor the networks and systems of multiple customers. In CA Network Flow Analysis, hosts are identified by name or IP address. You can track host activity to find out whether a specific server or end-user system is responsible for significant traffic on an interface, for example. You can create and run reports about the traffic that is generated or is received by specified hosts.

interface

An interface is a point of connection, such as a Serial, Frame Relay, Fast Ethernet, ATM, or PVC interface. CA Network Flow Analysis reports on any logical interface that is enabled on a supported router that has flow enabled. The NFA console displays the interfaces that are monitored in your environment.

NetFlow

NetFlow is a transaction between two hosts, which uses a unique pair of port numbers and IP addresses and which includes certain network traffic information. A Cisco router can be configured to export flow information by sending UDP packets that contain flow statistics to one or more collectors such as the Harvesters. CA Network Flow Analysis supports NetFlow versions 5, 7, and 9 and sFlow version 5. CA Network Flow Analysis also supports IPFIX, Jflow, cFlow, and Huawei NetStream that complies with the standards for NetFlow v5, v7, or v9.

protocol

A protocol is a standard for regulating communication between computers. Common protocols include: HTTP, SNMP, FTP, and VoIP. The information that is displayed may include the top protocols in and out for a particular interface. This information can help identify which application is causing network traffic. You can also create and run reports to determine which protocols and applications are used by different groups in your organization.

QoS (Quality of Service)

QoS (Quality of Service) is a defined level of performance--quality of transmission and service availability--in a data transmission system.

report

A report is a display of collected data, which you view in the NFA console from the Enterprise Overview, Interfaces, Custom Reporting, Flow Forensics, and Analysis pages. You can print or save reports in PDF format. You can also export reports as comma-separated value (CSV) files. An Administrator can set up some reports to be sent by email at scheduled intervals.

reporting period

A reporting period is a user-specified time range for data to be included in a CA Network Flow Analysis report. The time options vary with each report type, but the report period could consist of hours, days, weeks, or months.

Summary views

Summary views provide an overview of high-level information, such as averages from groups of managed items. Summary views often provide drilldown paths to more detailed, related pages.

threshold

A threshold is a user-definable limit. Meeting or exceeding a threshold may trigger an alarm. Thresholds are also used in some views to determine the status colors for items. For example, the Interface Utilization view on the Enterprise Overview page uses user-definable utilization thresholds for the status colors of the top interfaces.

view

Views, or data views, present statistical data, usually in a graph or table format. A view is similar to a report that is created on the fly when you display data in CA Network Flow Analysis or in CA Performance Center. For example, the Enterprise Overview page in CA Network Flow Analysis and the Infrastructure Overview dashboard in CA Performance Center show a collection of views. Each view represents a discrete set of collected data. In some cases, you can export the view data to a file in CSV format or create a PDF report from it.