What is Netflow?
NetFlow is a network protocol developed for collecting IP traffic information and monitoring network traffic. NetFlow efficiently provides a key set of services for IP applications, including network traffic accounting, usage-based network billing, network planning, security, denial of service monitoring capabilities, and network monitoring. NetFlow provides valuable information about network users and applications, peak usage times, and traffic routing. NetFlow is the leader in IP traffic flow technology.
Advantages
NetFlow is used by IT professionals to analyze network traffic flow and volume to determine where traffic is coming from, where it is going to, and how much traffic is being generated. NetFlow enabled routers export traffic statistics as NetFlow records, which are then collected by a NetFlow Collector. The Collector does that actual traffic analysis and presentation to the user and can take the form of a hardware appliance or software.
References
For more information about Netwflow, see Netflow Summary and Netflow Analysis by Device reports.