Arista Networks, Inc.

Cisco Technology, Inc.

Ripon Bhattacharjee

Sundar Siddaramaiah Bettadahalli

Arun Punj

Sanjay Kumar Hooda

Nalinaksh Pai

Saravanan Radhakrishnan

A method and system for exported flow tracking information is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by a network device, a network traffic flow comprising a data packet, and transmitting, by the network device, a message comprising a network device identifier (NDID), a template set, and an options template set using a traffic analysis protocol. The message is received by a flow collector, and a template record comprising a flow template identifier (FTID) and at least one flow key is extracted from the template set. An options template record comprising a metadata template identifier (MTID) and at least one metadata key is extracted from the options template set. The method includes generating a new repository entry using the NDID, the FTID, the at least one flow key, the MTID, and the at least one metadata key, and storing, by the flow collector, the new repository entry in the Flow Tracking Repository (FTR).

Method and network device for tagging network traffic flows

A method and network device for tagging network traffic flows. Specifically, the method and system disclosed herein entail the incorporation of static user-defined tag information, as well as dynamic screener-defined tag information (if appropriate), into flow tracking information exported from flow tracking-capable network devices to one or more flow collectors. Incorporation of the aforementioned tag information enhances the ability of the flow collector(s) to index, as well as retrieve, the flow tracking information. Through enhanced indexing and retrieval, speedier analysis of the flow tracking information, by one or more flow analyzers, may also be possible.

Techniques for tagging packets within a network fabric. An authentication device for a network fabric receives a first packet originating from a source device, in transit to a destination device, corresponding to a first network flow. User identification information corresponding to an authenticated user of the source device is inserted into a Network Services Header of the first packet. Embodiments receive a second packet that corresponds to the first network flow at the authentication device, the second packet including service identification information within a Network Services Header of the second packet that identifies a service type of the network flow. Upon receiving a third packet for the first network flow, the authentication device inserts the user identification and the service identification information into a Network Services Header of the third packet.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Ripon Bhattacharjee