Abstract: A network visibility appliance automatically and dynamically determines a data traffic sampling policy that it should apply, i.e., a policy for determining which flows the network appliance should forward to one or more tools. The technique can be used to adjust for changes in network traffic to avoid exceeding performance constraints (e.g., maximum throughput) of network analytic tools, while maintaining high efficiency of usage of the tools. In the technique, a policy engine monitors network traffic characteristics in a subscriber throughput table and dynamically determines a sampling policy to apply, so as to decrease and/or increase traffic throughput to a given tool, so that the tool is efficiently used.

Abstract: A network visibility appliance automatically and dynamically determines a data traffic sampling policy that it should apply, i.e., a policy for determining which flows the network appliance should forward to one or more tools. The technique can be used to adjust for changes in network traffic to avoid exceeding performance constraints (e.g., maximum throughput) of network analytic tools, while maintaining high efficiency of usage of the tools. In the technique, a policy engine monitors network traffic characteristics in a subscriber throughput table and dynamically determines a sampling policy to apply, so as to decrease and/or increase traffic throughput to a given tool, so that the tool is efficiently used.