Configuring Sflow; Sflow Operation - HP 5820X Switch Configuration Manual

Configuring sFlow

The Layer 3 Ethernet interface operates in route mode, For more information about the operating mode of
the Ethernet interface, see Layer 2—LAN Switching Configuration Guide.
sFlow is a traffic monitoring technology mainly used to collect and analyze traffic statistics. As shown in
Figure 80, the sFlow system involves an sFlow agent embedded in a device and a remote sFlow collector.
The sFlow agent collects traffic statistics and packet information from the sFlow-enabled interfaces on the
device, encapsulates them into sFlow packets. When an sFlow packet buffer overflows, or an sFlow
packet ages out (the aging time is one second), the sFlow agent sends the packet to a specified sFlow
collector. The sFlow collector analyzes the sFlow packets and displays the results.
sFlow has the following sampling mechanisms:
Flow sampling: Packet-based sampling, used to obtain packet content information.
•
Counter sampling: Time-based sampling, used to obtain port traffic statistics.
•
Figure 80 sFlow system
As a traffic monitoring technology, sFlow has the following advantages:
• Supporting traffic monitoring on Gigabit and higher-speed networks.
• Providing good scalability to allow one sFlow collector to monitor multiple sFlow agents.
• Saving cost by embedding the sFlow agent in a device, instead of using a dedicated sFlow agent
device.
NOTE:
Only the sFlow agent function is supported on the switch.

sFlow operation

sFlow operates in the following ways:
Before enabling the sFlow function, configure the sFlow agent and sFlow collector on the switch.
1.
For more information, see
With flow sampling enabled on an Ethernet interface, the sFlow agent samples packets and
2.
encapsulates them into sFlow packets. For more information, see "
"Configuring the sFlow agent and sFlow
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collector."