NETWORK TRAFFIC TRACKING
Network traffic may be logged and analyzed to perform accounting on amount of a chargeable network resource that is consumed fulfilling requests for different clients or for different servers. A network device may report network traffic to a server through NetFlow data records. The network traffic records may be generated by monitoring traffic through either the ingress ports or the egress ports of a network device. Monitoring only ingress or egress ports reduces or eliminates duplication of network traffic counting. Two-directional network traffic may be monitored by transmitting traffic in one direction through a first interface and in a second direction through a second interface.
1 . A method, comprising:
receiving in a log file a record of inbound traffic to a network device through an ingress port of a first interface;
receiving in the log file a record of outbound traffic from the network device through an ingress port of a second interface, different from the first interface; and
measuring inbound and outbound traffic through the network device by analyzing the log file.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising filtering the log file before measuring the inbound and outbound traffic.
3 . The method of claim 2 , in which the step of filtering comprises removing logged traffic having a public source address and a public destination address.
4 . The method of claim 2 , in which the step of filtering comprises removing logged traffic having a private source address and a private destination address.
5 . The method of claim 1 , in which the log file is received in a NetFlow format.
6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising charging a customer based on the measured inbound and outbound traffic.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising logging traffic from a third network interface, different from the first network interface and the second network interface, to the log.
8 . A computer program product, comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
code to receive in a log file a record of inbound traffic to a network device through an ingress port of a first interface;
code to receive in the log file a record of outbound traffic from the network device through an ingress port of a second interface, different from the first interface; and
code to measure inbound and outbound traffic through the network device by analyzing the log file.
9 . The computer program product of claim 8 , in which the medium further comprises code to filter the log file before measuring the inbound and outbound traffic.
10 . The computer program product of claim 9 , in which the medium further comprises code to remove logged traffic having a public source address and a public destination address.
11 . The computer program product of claim 9 , in which the medium further comprises code to remove logged traffic having a private source address and a private destination address.
12 . The computer program product of claim 8 , in which the medium further comprises code to interpret the log file according to a NetFlow format.
13 . The computer program product of claim 12 , in which the medium further comprises code to charge a customer based on the measured inbound and outbound traffic.
14 . An apparatus, comprising:
a memory for storing packet information; and
a processor coupled to the memory, in which the processor is configured:
to receive in a log file a record of inbound traffic to a network device through an ingress port of a first interface;
to receive in the log file a record of outbound traffic from the network device through an ingress port of a second interface, different from the first interface; and
to measure inbound and outbound traffic through the network device by analyzing the log file.
15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , in which the processor is further configured to filter the log file before measuring the inbound and outbound traffic.
16 . The apparatus of claim 14 , in which the processor is further configured to remove logged traffic having a public source address and a public destination address.
17 . The apparatus of claim 14 , in which the processor is further configured to analyze the log file according to a NetFlow format.
18 . The apparatus of claim 14 , in which the processor is further configured to generate a charge for a customer based on the measured inbound and outbound traffic.
19 . The apparatus of claim 14 , in which the network device is at least one of a router, a switch, and a gateway.