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User Guide for the Cisco Network Analysis Module (NAM) Traffic Analyzer, 5.0
OL-22617-01
Chapter 1 Overview
Understanding How the NAM Works
To use an NDE data source for the NAM, you must configure the remote device to export the NDE
packets. The default UDP port is 3000, but you can configure it from the NAM CLI as follows:
root@nam2x-61.cisco.com# netflow input port ?
<port> - input NDE port number
The distinguishing feature of the NetFlow v9 format, which is the basis for an IETF standard, is that it
is template-based. Templates provide an extensible design to the record format, a feature that must allow
future enhancements to NetFlow services without requiring concurrent changes to the basic flow-record
format.
For more detailed information about NAM and NetFlow, see NetFlow, page 2-18.
For more information on NetFlow, see http://www.cisco.com/go/netflow or the “Configuring NetFlow
Data Export” chapter in the Cisco 7600 Series Cisco IOS Software Configuration Guide, 12.2SX.
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/routers/7600/ios/12.2SXF/
configuration/guide/nde.html
For specific information about creating and managing NDE queries, see the Cisco Network Analysis
Module 5.0 API Programmer’s Guide.
Understanding How the NAM Uses WAAS
Cisco Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) software optimizes the performance of TCP-based
applications operating in a wide area network (WAN) environment and preserves and strengthens branch
security. The WAAS solution consists of a set of devices called Wide Area Application Engines (WAEs)
that work together to optimize WAN traffic over your network.
When client and server applications attempt to communicate with each other, the network devices
intercepts and redirects this traffic to the WAEs to act on behalf of the client application and the
destination server.
WAEs provide information about packet streams traversing through both LAN and WAN interfaces of
WAAS WAEs. Traffic of interest can include specific servers and types of transaction being exported.
NAM processes the data exported from the WAAS and performs application response time and other
metrics calculations and enters the data into reports you set up.
The WAEs examine the traffic and using built-in application policies to determine whether to optimize
the traffic or allow it to pass through your network not optimized.
You can use the WAAS Central Manager GUI to centrally configure and monitor the WAEs and
application policies in your network. You can also use the WAAS Central Manager GUI to create new
application policies so that the WAAS system will optimize custom applications and less common
applications.
For more information about WAAS data sources and managing WAAS devices, see Understanding
WAAS, page 2-29.