FPS Estimator

Flows Per Second Estimator

NetFlow is a network IP accounting technology designed by Cisco Systems to provide deep visibility into network traffic flows. Every IP connection that occurs across a router's backplane will generate a small bit of information that is sent across the network to a device called a Flow Collector.

The following exercise estimates Flows per Second (FPS), the rate at which flows leave the router or switch and are destined for the Flow Collector. When sizing a Flow Collection vendor, the FPS rate is often used to determine how much storage, RAM, and CPU is required.

Select either Host Types or Traffic Types as the basis for your calculation.

FPS can be estimated based on the number and type of IP hosts you have active within your network. Select your industry, then enter as many of the values as you know off the top of your head. It's usually better to guess high, most people understate how many actual IP addresses are in use within the network. If you know that you have 300,000+ active IPs within your network, then enter "300000" in the "Workstation or Laptop" field.

Host Types Number of Resources
0
 Server
140
 140
1
 Workstation or Laptop
140
 140
2
 Router or Switch
140
 140
3
 Smartphone or Tablet
140
 140
4
 Printer
140
 140
5
 IP Phone
140
 140

FPS can be estimated based on the bits per second rate for a given link within the network. Select your industry and consider the main aggregation points within your network: How much bandwidth are these points seeing? What is the primary traffic type seen at these link locations?  For example, if you know that your Internet link runs at around 150Mbps during work hours, then enter "Internet Traffic" and "150". Enter as many data points as you can.

Primary Traffic TypeLink Utilization (in Mbps)