About This Guide

This section explains the objectives, intended audience, and organization of this installation and user guide. It also includes the conventions used to convey instructions and information in this guide.

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Who Should Read This Guide

This guide is written for network administrators, operators, and managers who install and maintain Cisco routers and switches, and who use various network management applications on remote hosts to monitor Cisco routers and switches.

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Note Except for descriptions requiring references to specific router or switch platforms, the remainder of this preface and the remaining chapters of this guide use the term export device in place of the terms router and switch.

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How This Guide Is Organized

This guide provides task-based information for installing and using the NetFlow FlowCollector application. The application is available on CD-ROM.

This guide is organized as follows:

• Chapter 1, "Quick Start: Installing and Using FlowCollector," describes how to install FlowCollector for the first time and get it running quickly without having to learn anything about how FlowCollector operates.

• Chapter 2, "FlowCollector Overview," contains an overview of NetFlow Services and the NetFlow FlowCollector application.

• Chapter 3, "Installing, Configuring, and Validating FlowCollector," contains procedures describing how to install a FlowCollector upgrade, configure it, and then validate that it is operating properly.

• Chapter 4, "Using the NetFlow FlowCollector User Interface," tells you how to use the NetFlow FlowCollector user interface (NFUI).

• Chapter 5, "Understanding the FlowCollector Data File Format," tells you how to interpret the data collected and saved in FlowCollector data files.

• Chapter 6, "Customizing FlowCollector," describes how to customize the FlowCollector by creating or modifying FlowCollector resource definitions, as well as change performance and operating characteristics by changing configuration parameters.

• Appendix A, "Troubleshooting," provides helpful information and procedures in case you encounter problems while using the FlowCollector.

• Appendix B, "NetFlow Export Datagram Format," describes the format of NetFlow UDP export datagrams.

Related Publications

For information on Cisco IOS software features related to NetFlow services on Cisco 7500, 7200, and 7000 series routers, refer to the Cisco IOS Release 11.1(2) or later configuration guides and command references.

For information on software features related to Multilayer Switching (MLS) on Catalyst 5000 series switches, refer to the Multilayer Switching User Guide.

For additional information about using the NetFlow FlowAnalyzer application to display FlowCollector traffic statistics in a graphical form, refer to the NetFlow FlowAnalyzer Installation and User Guide.

Document Conventions

Command descriptions in text use the following conventions:

boldface font	Commands and keywords are shown in boldface.
italic font	Arguments for which you supply values are shown in italics.
[  ]	Elements enclosed in square brackets are optional.
{ x | y | z }	Alternative keywords are grouped in braces and separated by vertical bars.
[ x | y | z ]	Optional alternative keywords are grouped in brackets and separated by vertical bars.
string	A nonquoted set of characters. Do not use quotation marks around the string or the string will include the quotation marks.

Screen examples use the following conventions:

screen font	Terminal sessions and information the system displays are shown in screen font.
boldface screen font	Information you must enter is shown in boldface screen font.
italic screen font	Arguments for which you supply values are shown in italic screen font.
^	The symbol ^ represents the key labeled Control (used in combination with another key)--for example, the key combination ^D in a screen display means hold down the Control key while you press the D key.
[  ]	Default responses to system prompts are shown in square brackets.

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Note Means reader take note. Notes contain helpful suggestions or references to materials not contained in this manual.

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