To collect network metadata without capturing every packet, which method is recommended?

The recommended method for collecting network metadata without capturing every packet is NetFlow. NetFlow is a network protocol developed by Cisco that provides the ability to collect and analyze traffic flow data. It summarizes connection details such as source and destination IP addresses, port numbers, and the amount of data transferred, which allows network administrators to monitor network performance and security with less overhead than capturing every packet.

This method is efficient because it focuses on flow-level data, which can provide insights into the overall behavior of the network without the need for extensive storage and processing required to analyze all individual packets. By using protocols like NetFlow, organizations can gain visibility into traffic patterns, identify trends, and detect anomalies while minimizing the impact on network performance.

While packet captures can provide very detailed information about every packet, their storage and analysis can be resource-intensive. System logs capture a variety of operational details but may not provide the specific network performance metrics that flow data offers. SOAP is unrelated to network traffic analysis, as it is a protocol used for exchanging structured information in web services, and it doesn’t pertain to network metadata collection. Thus, NetFlow is the method best suited for this purpose.