Net Flow Setup

1.    General Information

2.    Installation

    2.1    Configuration

    2.2    Importing the Info to RODOPI's Database

3. Billing for Net Traffic

NOTE: This feature in RODOPI is available only for Internet Service Providers that have the following Cisco's routers with the corresponding IOS.

General Information

RODOPI is using Cisco's NetFlow technology to gather information for the net traffic. In general the NetFlow technology exports data for the net traffic that passed through the router in any direction. The RODOPI collector application listens for that data and gathers information for the traffic generated by a specified IP address or for a group of IP addresses. Later this info is transferred in the RODOPI database and you can bill your customers on a traffic based basis. For more information on Cisco's NetFlow technology visit their site

Installation

First install the Net Traffic Collecting Application (NetTrafficCollector.exe) on a Windows NT machine. Start the application and click the start button. From this moment the netflow collector is listening for packets. Now you need to configure it. Go to your Rodopi installation to the "Administration | Configuration" page. In the "Others" section in the field NetFlow IP enter the IP address of the machine where the NetTrafficCollector.exe is running.

Example:

The next step is to configure your Cisco router to export NetFlow data to that NT machine. Use the Cisco documentation for this.

Configuration

From "Administration | NetFlow Setup" page you can set up everything for net traffic collection.
The first section concerns the setting for the Traffic Collecting Application. Here is the meaning of the fields:

• Listen for Router on Port - the port number to which Cisco's router will send NetFlow data. Note that you have to tell your router to send the data to that port as well.
• Router IP - Here you have to enter the IP address of your Cisco router.
• Buffer size for incoming Router data - Here you enter the size in bytes of the buffer of the socket that listens for incoming data. We strongly recommend that you do not change the default value. However, if you are sure that the Traffic Collecting Application misses some UDP from the router you can increase the size.

Follows a section where you provide information for the log file.

• Log file name - Enter the full name of the log file. Note enter the path name and the file name. In this log file the Traffic Collecting Application will save the data.
• Flush memory every - Here you specify the how often the Traffic Collecting Application has to flush the memory into the log file.

Example:

You apply the changes by pressing the Save Button.
Follows a list with the IP addresses and ports. These are the IP addresses that you want to measure for net traffic. You specify lower and upper limit of the IP and for port numbers. If you want to measure the Web traffic of a machine that has IP = 123.123.123.123 you enter 123.123.123.123 for From IP and 80 for From Port and you enter 123.123.123.123 for To IP and 80 for To Port

Note:0 in either From Port or To Port means that the traffic will be measured for all ports.
Now another scenario. If you want to measure the traffic for a group of sequential IP and for all ports you do not have to enter them one by one. For example if you want to measure the traffic for 5 machines with IP respectively 123.123.123.100, 123.123.123.101, 123.123.123.102, 123.123.123.103, 123.123.123.104 you enter 123.123.123.100 for From IP and 0 for From Port and you enter 123.123.123.104 for To IP and 0 for To Port.

Also for each entry you specify the protocol. Any means that the application will collect the traffic generated by any protocol. However you can specify one or more of the other protocols (ICMP, TCP or UDP). When you are done press Save to add this (these) IP to be measured.

Example:

Importing the Info to RODOPI's Database

As it was mentioned the Traffic Collecting Application generates a log file. You have to set up the default filter that comes with RODOPI to read the info from that file and to import the traffic usage.
If you have not set up the filter yet here is the procedure:

1. Go to "Administration->Usage Filters->Filter Installations" page.
2. Click the Logs button for the Default Usage Filter.
3. Click the Add button.
4. On the new page enter the directory where the log file is located in the "Directory URL". If the log file and the filter are on one and the same machine just enter the directory. If they are on different machines you have to enter the FTP location of the file. Note: enter only the directory name without the file name.
5. Enter the file name in the field "Mask".
6. Select the delay. A good value is 30 minutes or greater.
7. Enter a next run date.
8. Leave empty the field "CommonIPHost".
9. In the field "LogFileType" enter NetFlow
10. For the max count enter a valid number. We suggest 1000.
11. Save the changes, by pressing Save button.

In case you want to change some of the settings press Edit button form the "Usage logs" page.

Example:

Billing for Net Traffic

In order to charge for net traffic you have to do the following:

1. Create a new Usage Info with Net Traffic MB as unit type. Example:

Create a new Plan Info that has assigned the above mentioned Usage Info or assign the usage info to existing PlanInfo.

Now when you subscribe new customer in Filter Search / Plans you will see netflow info section where you can specify this customer IP addresses.