Using The Gigastor Control Panel - Network Instruments GigaStor User Manual

It includes a high-performance Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) coupled with the Gen2 capture
card in a rack unit. The Gen2 capture card allows you to capture a number of different full-duplex media by
swapping standard SFP or XFP modules in and out. When the Observer analyzer is connected to a GigaStor
probe, the GigaStor Control Panel is enabled. The GigaStor Control Panel eases many tasks involved in capturing,
storing, and retrieving massive amounts of network traffic.
Tip!
Place GigaStors in the data center core. Locate near servers to capture their server-to-server traffic. The
distribution layer is another optimal position for GigaStor.
By utilizing the included network TAPs, you can insert and remove the GigaStor around the network without
disruption of flow. The GigaStor reports back to Observer Expert and Observer Suite analyzers for in-depth
analysis.
If desired, GigaStor can be configured as a local console for on-site analysis.

Using the GigaStor Control Panel

This section covers the GigaStor Control Panel, its settings, and its use when you choose Capture > GigaStor
Control Panel. It does not cover packet decoding or analysis like TCP, UDP, or VoIP Events, nor does it cover
Connection Dynamics.
After the GigaStor probe is up and running on the network, you can use an Observer analyzer to view captures
from the probe. In the Observeryou use a special section of the analyzer called the GigaStor Control Panel. The
major section of the GigaStor Control Panel are listed in
Figure 1: GigaStor Detail and Outline Charts
The GigaStor Control Panel shows traffic on a time line graph, allowing you to select packets for decoding,
analysis, and display by defining the time period you want to view, and the types of packets you want to include.
Use the sliders at the top of the time line chart to select the time period you are interested in analyzing, then
click Update Chart and Update Reports to update everything to the new time frame. Right-click in the top
chart to open additional controls.
8 | GigaStor™ (pub. 25.Apr.2014)
Figure 1 (page 8).