Manufacturer: F5 Networks

Version(s):

BIG-IP AAM 12.1.1, 12.1.0
BIG-IP APM 12.1.1, 12.1.0
BIG-IP Link Controller 12.1.1, 12.1.0
BIG-IP Analytics 12.1.1, 12.1.0
BIG-IP LTM 12.1.1, 12.1.0
BIG-IP PEM 12.1.1, 12.1.0
BIG-IP AFM 12.1.1, 12.1.0
BIG-IP DNS 12.1.1, 12.1.0
BIG-IP ASM 12.1.1, 12.1.0

URL:  https://techdocs.f5.com/kb/en-us/products/big-ip_ltm/manuals/product/bigip-external-monitoring-implementations-12-0-0/15.html

Notes: sFlow configuration on the BIG-IP system requires you to be assigned either the Resource Administrator or Administrator user role.

Configuration steps

  • Add an sFlow receiver to the BIG-IP system.

    1. On the Main tab, click System > sFlow > Receiver List,  the sFlow screen opens.
    2. Click Add, the New Receiver properties screen opens.
    3. In the Name field, type a name for the sFlow receiver.
    4. In the Address field, type the IPv4 or IPv6 address on which the sFlow receiver listens for UDP datagrams.  This is the IP address of the Scrutinizer collector.
    5. From the State list, select Enabled.
    6. Click Finished.

    sFlow receiver settings

    Control

    Default

    Description

    Name

    no default

    Specifies a name for the sFlow receiver.

    Address

    no default

    Specifies the IP address on which the sFlow receiver listens for UDP datagrams.

    Port

    6343

    Specifies the port on which the sFlow receiver listens for UDP datagrams. The default value is the standard sFlow port.

    Maximum Datagram Size

    1400

    Specifies the maximum size in bytes of the UDP datagram the sFlow receiver accepts.

    State

    Disabled

    Specifies whether the sFlow receiver is enabled or disabled.

    Setting global sFlow polling intervals and sampling rates.

    Note:  You can configure separate sFlow global polling intervals for the system, VLANs, interfaces, and HTTP profiles, and separate sFlow global sampling rates for VLANs and HTTP profiles.

    1. On the Main tab, click System> sFlow > Global Settings, the sFlow screen opens.
    2. In the Name column, click the type of data source, the properties screen for that type of data source opens.
    3. In the Polling Interval field, type the maximum interval in seconds between polling by the sFlow agent.
    4. In the Sampling Rate field, type the ratio of packets observed to the number of samples you want the BIG-IP system to generate.

    For example, a sampling rate of 2000 specifies that one sample will be randomly generated for every 2000 packets observed.

    1. Click Update.
    2. Repeat this procedure to set the global polling interval and sampling rate for the other types of data sources.

    Note: You cannot configure sampling rates for the system or interface data sources.

    sFlow global settings

    Control

    Default

    Description

    Name

    Based on the resource you select.

    Specifies the type of resource for which you are setting the global sFlow polling interval or sampling rate, for example, interface or vlan.

    Polling Interval

    10

    Specifies the maximum interval in seconds between polling by the sFlow agent of monitored data sources on the BIG-IP system.

    Important: When multiple sFlow receivers are configured on the BIG-IP®system, only the lowest, non-zero Polling Interval setting is used for polling for all configured sFlow receivers. Therefore, if you delete the sFlow receiver with the lowest, non-zero poll interval, the system computes a new poll interval, based on the configured sFlow receivers, and uses that polling interval for all configured sFlow receivers.

    Sampling Rate

    1024

    Specifies the ratio of packets observed to the number of samples you want the BIG-IP system to generate. For example, a sampling rate of 2000 specifies that one sample will be randomly generated for every 2000 packets observed.

     

    Setting the sFlow polling interval and sampling rate for a VLAN

    Change the sFlow settings for a specific VLAN when you want the traffic flowing through the VLAN to be sampled at a different rate than the global sFlow settings on the BIG-IP® system.

    1. On the Main tab, click Network> VLANs, the VLAN List screen opens.
    2. Select a VLAN in the Name column, the New VLAN screen opens.
    3. From the Polling Interval list, select Specify, and type the maximum interval in seconds between polling by the sFlow agent of this VLAN.
    4. From the Sampling Rate list, select Specify, and type the ratio of packets observed at this VLAN to the samples you want the BIG-IP system to generate.
    5. Click Update.

    Setting the sFlow polling interval and sampling rate for a profile.

    Change the sFlow settings for a specific HTTP profile when you want the traffic flowing through the virtual server (to which the profile is assigned) to be sampled at a different rate than the global sFlow settings on the BIG-IP® system.

    1. On the Main tab, click Local Traffic> Profiles > Services > HTTP, the HTTP profile list screen opens.
    2. Click the name of a profile.
    3. From the Polling Interval list, select Specify, and type the maximum interval in seconds between polling by the s Flow agent of this profile.
    4. From the Sampling Rate list, select Specify, and type the ratio of packets observed at the virtual server associated with this profile to the samples you want the BIG-IP system to generate.
    5. Click Update.

    Setting the sFlow polling interval for an interface.

    Change the sFlow settings for a specific interface when you want the traffic flowing through the interface to be sampled at a different rate than the global sFlow settings on the BIG-IP® system.

    1. On the Main tab, click Network> Interfaces > Interface List, the Interface List screen displays the list of interfaces on the system.
    2. In the Name column, click the interface number, this displays the properties of the interface.
    3. From the Polling Interval list, select Specify, and type the maximum interval in seconds between polling by the sFlow agent of this interface.
    4. Click the Update