Table Of Contents
Configuring the Cisco NetFlow Collector
Required Patches and Software Packages
Starting the Cisco NetFlow Collector
Verifying That Cisco NetFlow Collector Is Running
NetFlow Collector Configuration Files
Starting the Cisco NetFlow Collector User Interface
Stopping Cisco NetFlow Collector
Configuring the Cisco NetFlow Collector
This chapter describes how to configure the Cisco NetFlow Collector application and then validate that it is operating properly.
This chapter includes the following sections:
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Required Patches and Software Packages
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Required Patches and Software Packages
Solaris Platform
Prior to running Cisco NetFlow Collector on the Solaris platform, the latest Recommended Patch Cluster for the release should be installed.
Solaris patches can be downloaded at http://sunsolve.sun.com/.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux Platform
Prior to running Cisco NetFlow Collector on Red Hat Enterprise Linux platform, you must install the the following packages :
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UNIX Environment Variables
In releases prior to version 5.0, the Cisco NetFlow Collector Installation Guide recommended setting a number of environment variables, such as NFC_DIR and NFC_RESOURCEFILE. These settings should be removed from the environment for this release prior to installing and running Cisco NetFlow Collector. The environment is automatically determined by startup scripts in the 6.0 release.
Enabling NetFlow Data Export
Because of the configuration differences between routers and switches, any detailed configuration description for either type of NetFlow export device is beyond the scope of this guide. At the broadest conceptual level, you must perform the following types of configuration tasks on the export devices:
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For information on Cisco IOS software features related to NetFlow services on Cisco routers, see the Cisco IOS software configuration guides and command references.
For information on specific configuration commands for Cisco Catalyst 5000 series switches, see the "NetFlow Switching Enhancements" feature module in Cisco IOS release notes and feature modules.
For information on software features related to MLS on Catalyst 5000 series switches, see the Catalyst 5000 Series Multilayer Switching User Guide.
Starting the Cisco NetFlow Collector
To start Cisco NetFlow Collector, perform the following steps:
Step 1
Step 2
/opt/CSCOnfc/bin/nfcollector start allCisco NetFlow Collector runs as several processes. See the "Cisco NetFlow Collector Architectural Overview" section on page 1-5 for details about these processes.
In most cases, NFC is configured during installation to be started automatically by the system when the host reboots. When this is the case, startup scripts are placed in the file /etc/rc*d.
Verifying That Cisco NetFlow Collector Is Running
To verify that Cisco NetFlow Collector is running properly, perform the following steps.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
If you are receiving data and there are no error messages in the log files, Cisco NetFlow Collector is running properly.
You should periodically monitor the log files for error and warning messages.
NetFlow Collector Configuration Files
Table 3-1 displays all of the configuration files used by Cisco NetFlow Collector.
Browser Requirements
The Cisco NetFlow Collector, Release 6.0 web-based user interface is compatible with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 and Firefox 1.5 on Windows or UNIX. The web-based UI requires that the browser run the Sun Java virtual machine (JVM) to run applets. For the filter editor , threshold editor, and multi-field map editor applets to be displayed, a Sun JVM version 1.5 or higher must be used.
Starting the Cisco NetFlow Collector User Interface
To start the Cisco NetFlow Collector User Interface, do the following:
Step 1
Step 2
/opt/CSCOnfc/bin/nfcollector start all
Step 3
//<nfc-hostname>:8080/nfc
Note
Stopping Cisco NetFlow Collector
To stop the Cisco NetFlow Collector, you must be logged in as the user specified during installation.
To stop Cisco NetFlow Collector, enter the following command:
# /opt/CSCOnfc/bin/nfcollector shutdown
The shutdown option waits for the NFC process to exit. If a process fails to stop after a configurable number of seconds, the nfcollector script returns a non-zero exit status. To immediately and ungracefully stop all CNS NetFlow Collection Engine processes, enter the following command:
# /opt/CSCOnfc/bin/nfcollector clean
Caution
Cisco NetFlow Collector subsystems can also be stopped individually. For example, only the collection subsystem is stopped by entering the following command:
# /opt/CSCOnfc/bin/nfcollector stop collection
Updating JRE Time Zone Data
Cisco NetFlow Collector requires up-to-date time zone data in the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) bundled with NFC so that files and reports that contain the time-of-day accurately reflect current Daylight Saving Time rules that are in effect. Time zone data in NFC's JRE should be updated using the TZupdater tool provided by Sun Microsystems when NFC is installed and whenever local Daylight Saving Time rules change.
Note
Sun Microsystems has provided general information about this topic in the article Timezone Data and the Java Runtime Environment at http://java.sun.com/javase/timezones/. To see if a change announced recently for your location is reflected in the latest data provided by Sun, see Timezone Data Versions in the JRE Software at http://java.sun.com/javase/timezones/tzdata_versions.html.
To update the JRE timezone information for NFC, do the following:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
/opt/CSCOnfc/java/bin/java -jar path-to-tzupdater-files/tzupdater.jar -u
Note: On the Solaris platform, ignore package-related warning messages such as:
path-to-java-bin/java not directly found in contents file, no package resolution performed. (May not be in PKG form, not an absolute path, or is a symlink.)
Step 7
