How does NetFlow Monitor work?

When a router or other device sends NetFlow data to NetFlow Monitor, it follows the process shown below.

1. The router gathers information about the traffic that is passing through it and summarizes that data into a NetFlow export.
2. The router sends the NetFlow export to the NetFlow Monitor collector.
3. The NetFlow Monitor collector stores the NetFlow export in the database.
4. When the report data is viewed on the web interface, NetFlow Monitor retrieves the data from the database and manipulates it to produce the report.

Tip: WhatsUp Gold NetFlow Monitor can collect and generate reports for NetFlow data from multiple devices.