Cisco Nexus Odd sFlow Implementation

Mon Mar 20 16:06:43 UTC 2023

On 3/20/23 09:43, Mike Hammett wrote:
> But then I'm storing and processing twice as much data as I need.
>
>

I would say somewhere between 0 - 100% overhead.  Depending upon traffic.

Recall that a flow is packet delivery in one direction only.  An end to 
end flow is an ingress interface with various l2 decorations along with 
an egress interface with its various l2 decorations (which many flavours 
of sflow will report).  So you need to record flows in both directions - 
from point of entry to point of exit.  In Cisco when I have the ability 
to turn on ingress and/or egress.  I turn on both so I can record this 
detail.

To fully record traffic, you need this in both directions.  And recall, 
multihome means that traffic delivery may be asymmetrical across 
interfaces.  So diagnostics will require this full flow info in both 
directions.

And as the disparaged marketing material indicating that a 1G interface 
carries 2G worth of traffic, it isn't a lie.

All this to say that no, you aren't processing twice as much data as you 
need.  You need all that, in both directions, to properly generate 
additional detail reports.

>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From: *"Raymond Burkholder" <ray at oneunified.net>
> *To: *nanog at nanog.org
> *Sent: *Monday, March 20, 2023 10:16:37 AM
> *Subject: *Re: Cisco Nexus Odd sFlow Implementation
>
>
> On 3/20/23 08:55, Mike Hammett wrote:
>
>     Cisco is sending the in and out packets in their sFlow
>     implementation on their Nexus switches. Obviously, this double
>     counts the information.
>
>     Are there solutions that process those flows and remove one of
>     those directions?
>
>
> Wouldn't you just do that in your reporting?  The report engine 
> usually has options for interface, ingress/egress, prefix range, 
> protocol, ....
>
> Then when you need to aggregate for a specific interface for 
> additional troubleshooting, you have all the information for when you 
> need it.
>
> Yes, your aggregate numbers for total packets transiting is double, 
> but I generally have specific reports for specific traffic patterns I 
> focus on anyway.
>
> Raymond Burkholder
> One Unified Net Limited
>
>
>
>
>     -----
>     Mike Hammett
>     Intelligent Computing Solutions <http://www.ics-il.com/>
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>
>
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