Policy-based approach for managing the export of network flow statistical data

A computer-readable medium for managing network flow statistical data, the computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:

• a monitoring process monitoring a plurality of flows at an observation point in a network;
• the monitoring process generating flow statistical data for the plurality of flows;
• the monitoring process retrieving local policy data that includes constraint data and priority data, wherein the constraint data indicates one or more resource usage constraints for one or more resources available to the monitoring process and the priority data indicates a desired priority of flow attributes;
• the monitoring process selecting one or more flows from the plurality of flows based upon the constraint data and the priority data so that the one or more resource usage constraints data are satisfied;
• and
• the monitoring process exporting a portion of the flow statistical data that corresponds to the selected one or more flows.

An apparatus for managing network flow statistical data, the apparatus comprising a memory storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:

• a monitoring process monitoring a plurality of flows at an observation point in a network;
• the monitoring process generating flow statistical data for the plurality of flows;
• the monitoring process retrieving local policy data that includes constraint data and priority data, wherein the constraint data indicates one or more resource usage constraints for one or more resources available to the monitoring process and the priority data indicates a desired priority of flow attributes;
• the monitoring process selecting one or more flows from the plurality of flows based upon the constraint data and the priority data so that the one or more resource usage constraints data are satisfied;
• and
• the monitoring process exporting a portion of the flow statistical data that corresponds to the selected one or more flows.

An apparatus for managing network flow statistical data, the apparatus comprising:

• means for monitoring a plurality of flows at an observation point in a network;
• means for generating flow statistical data for the plurality of flows;
• means for retrieving local policy data that includes constraint data and priority data, wherein the constraint data indicates one or more resource usage constraints for one or more resources available to the monitoring process and the priority data indicates a desired priority of flow attributes;
• means for selecting one or more flows from the plurality of flows based upon the constraint data and the priority data so that the one or more resource usage constraints data are satisfied;
• and
• means for exporting a portion of the flow statistical data that corresponds to the selected one or more flows.