Ntop: Beyond Ping and Traceroute

Abstract

The task of network management is becoming iiicreasingly complex due to the increasing mmber of networked computers running different operating systems and speaking various network protocols. Most of network monitoring and diagnostic tools such as ping and traceroute are suitable just for tackling simple connectivity problems. Complex network problems often need to be addressed using rather expensive management tools or probes affordable only by mid-large companies. This paper covers the design and the implementation of ntop, an open-source web-based network usage monitor that enables users to track relevant network activities including network utilisation, established connections, network protocol usage and traffic classification. ntop's portability across various platforms, its support of many network media, ease of use and lightweight CPU utilisation makes it suitable for people who want to monitor their network without having to adopt a sophisticated yet expensive management platform.

Distributed Management of High-Layer Protocols and Network Services through a Programmable Agent-Based Architecture

“…When a management task is about to be delegated, they are mapped to files and stored in the repository (4). Communication between the management station and the mid-level managers takes place using the SNMP protocol (Script MIB) (5,6). The manager can delegate a management task to a mid-level manager as well as abort it at any time.…”

“…Next, the activation of the task must be scheduled using the Script MIB (5,6). In order to do that, the mid-level manager has to be informed about the location of the task (script).…”

“…tcpdump-like filters used by ntop [5]) or by descriptive languages such as SRL [6], used by NeTraMet [7]. However, these filtering languages lack constructors that allow a rule to be defined as a sequence of packets each with specific filtering options, making it impossible to accomplish time-based or correlated analysis of flows.…”

“…Finally, we should point out that many management tools are limited to monitoring [5,7] and the network manager has to take actions manually when unexpected behaviors from these protocols are observed.…”

High-layer protocol and service management based on passive network traffic monitoring: the trace management platform

“…When it comes to high-layer protocol management, monitoring is the main topic of research. The ntop tool [1] is designed for traffic measurement and monitoring, and includes features for per-protocol network traffic characterization and usage. The Remote Network Monitoring Management Information Base Version 2 (RMON-2) [2], created in 1997, provides mechanisms to collect information similar to ntop.…”