Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for generating a unique ID for a sensor in a network. Once the sensor is installed on a component of the network, the sensor can send attributes of the sensor to a control server of the network. The attributes of the sensor can include at least one unique identifier of the sensor or the host component of the sensor. The control server can determine a hash value using a one-way hash function and a secret key, send the hash value to the sensor, and designate the hash value as a sensor ID of the sensor. In response to receiving the sensor ID, the sensor can incorporate the sensor ID in subsequent communication messages. Other components of the network can verify the validity of the sensor using a hash of the at least one unique identifier of the sensor and the secret key.

Abstract: An approach for establishing a priority ranking for endpoints in a network. This can be useful when triaging endpoints after an endpoint becomes compromised. Ensuring that the most critical and vulnerable endpoints are triaged first can help maintain network stability and mitigate damage to endpoints in the network after an endpoint is compromised. The present technology involves determining a criticality ranking and a secondary value for a first endpoint in a datacenter. The criticality ranking and secondary value can be combined to form priority ranking for the first endpoint which can then be compared to a priority ranking for a second endpoint to determine if the first endpoint or the second endpoint should be triaged first.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for updating configurations in sensors deployed in multi-layer virtualized environments. In some examples, a system can track information of sensors and collectors in the network. In response to determining that a specific collector becomes unavailable (e.g., the specific collector is down, offline or becomes unsupported), the system can determine affected sensors corresponding to the specific collector, determine a new collector among active collectors of the network for each of the affected sensors, and dynamically update configuration and settings of the affected sensors to maintain proper collector-to-sensor mappings and other settings on the affected sensors.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for detecting sensor deployment characteristics in a network. In some embodiments, a system can run a capturing agent deployed on a virtualization environment of the system. The capturing agent can query the virtualization environment for one or more environment parameters, and receive a response from the virtualized environment including the one or more environment parameters. Based on the one or more environment parameters, the capturing agent can determine whether the virtualization environment where the capturing agent is deployed is a hypervisor or a virtual machine. The capturing agent can also determine what type of software switch is running in the virtualized environment.

Abstract: The present technology is directed to providing visibility of data flows in a multi-tier application and to help network teams understand the dataflow of an application and develop the application's dataflow. The technology is directed to an application dependency map visualized in a collapsible chart. The collapsible chart displays the policies/relationships between each logical entity that carries a multi-tier application. The collapsible multi-tier application UI displays the data flows of a multi-tier application. Such charts are large and complex, and the present technology attempts to avoid displaying the entire topology of such multi-tier applications, while focusing on dependency relationships of interest.

Abstract: An example method includes detecting, using sensors, packets throughout a datacenter. The sensors can then send packet logs to various collectors which can then identify and summarize data flows in the datacenter. The collectors can then send flow logs to an analytics module which can identify the status of the datacenter and detect an attack.

Abstract: The technology visualizes data flows within a datacenter in an interactive hierarchical network chord diagram. Based on analyzed data describing data flows, a portion of the data flows that originate at the same first endpoint and terminate at the same second endpoint can be grouped. Subsequently, the dataflow monitoring system displays an interactive hierarchical network chord diagram to include a chord with a first endpoint and a second endpoint. The chord represents the grouped portion of data flows that originate at the same first endpoint and terminate at the same second endpoint. Upon receiving a selection of the chord or the first endpoint of the chord, the dataflow monitoring system expands the grouped portion of the data flows into a more granular representation of the network.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a monitoring device (or module) monitors messages exchanged between nodes in a communication network. The monitoring device further determines, based on time stamp data associated with each message, one or more latency distributions of paired response times between the nodes, and determines a node topology consistent with each of the one or more latency distributions of paired response times between the nodes. In some embodiments, the monitoring device also generates a graph of the node topology showing one or more communication links between the nodes, and annotates each communication link of the one or more communication links with at least one of a mean response time or a median response time based on at least one of the latency distributions.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for annotating process and user information for network flows. In some embodiments, a capturing agent, executing on a first device in a network, can monitor a network flow associated with the first device. The first device can be, for example, a virtual machine, a hypervisor, a server, or a network device. Next, the capturing agent can generate a control flow based on the network flow. The control flow may include metadata that describes the network flow. The capturing agent can then determine which process executing on the first device is associated with the network flow and label the control flow with this information. Finally, the capturing agent can transmit the labeled control flow to a second device, such as a collector, in the network.

Abstract: Presenting data flows in a parallel coordinate chart. The parallel coordinate chart allows a user to search for data flows. Exploration occurs by providing visualization of a searched data flow(s) to ascertain the typical from the atypical flow. Each data flow represented in a parallel coordinate chart is measured against various attributes represented among parallel lines. A single chart could be used to visualize thousands of flows at once. Overlaying data flows in on top of each other in the parallel coordinate chart can reveal a concentration of flows. The concentration of flows allows a user to visualize, among other things, the relationship between the flows and observe typical and atypical flows. Additionally the user can filter specific dimensions (to observe joint distributions between a pair of dimensions—combined probabilities of what is occurring between two dimensions) or a specific window of time.

Abstract: The present technology is directed to mapping flow data and overlaying it on a geographic map. Furthermore the geographical map can also display attacks and the flow of an attack from the source to a logical entity. The map additionally can be accompanied with a pie chart relating to the attacks and intensity of attacks. Normal flows can also be displayed on the map along with the attack flows.