Displaying Document: documentation/README [ Download ]/*--------------------------------------------------------------
NetLoadD - Network Load Deamon Read The
David Cutting (dcutting@purplepixie.org) L I C E N C E
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Read Me: Information on the Background and Basis of NetLoadD
NetLoadD - the Network Load Daemon - is a utility designed
to capture total throughput on a specified network device
over a specified interval. This data can then be used by
the daemon itself or ported to another analysis application.
Although the ifconfig command displays the total transfer
on the device in bytes (taken from /proc/net/dev file)
there are two key problems with this. Firstly the data
does not include any indication of the timeframe of the
sample (making load average calculation impossible) and
secondly the count will wrap at Max Long (about 4.5 Gb)
back to 0.
Although a number of very flasy real-time analysis tools
exist, most are graphically based (in X or curses) and
unsuitable to be used for data collection intended for
later analysis.
NetLoadD in it's current form (1.5.1) is started by
the user for each device to be monitored with optional
arguments specifying settings and/or a configuration
file. Details of the day-to-day usage and initial
setup of NetLoadD can be found in the USAGE and CONFIG
documents supplied.
Written in C++, NetLoadD is designed to be portable
to any platform with a Linux-style (I believe
although are not sure that this is in fact BSD-style)
/proc/net/dev files of the format:
Two header lines.
A line per device with the fields as follows:
interface:
Receive:bytes
Receive:packets
Receive:errors
Receive:drop
Receive:fido
Receive:frame
Receive:compressed
Receive:multicast
Transmit:bytes
Transmit:packets
Transmit:errors
Transmit:drop
Transmit:fifo
Transmit:colls
Transmit:carrier
Transmit:compressed
If you find NetLoadD useful, have constructive criticism
or a support query we'd be happy to hear from you by
email to netload at purplepixie.org.
See the INSTALL document to see how to compile then
install NetLoadD. Please read the LICENCE.
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