NetFlow is a network analysis tool that you can use to monitor network monitoring and virtual machine traffic.

NetFlow is available on a vSphere Distributed Switch version 5.0.0 and later. Version 5.1 and later of the switch supports IPFIX (NetFlow version 10).

Procedure
1

Log in to the vSphere Client and select the Networking inventory view.

2

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

3

Navigate to the NetFlow tab.

4

Type the IP address and Port of the NetFlow collector.

5

Type the VDS IP address.

With an IP address to the vSphere distributed switch, the NetFlow collector can interact with the vSphere distributed switch as a single switch, rather than interacting with a separate, unrelated switch for each associated host.

6

(Optional) Use the up and down menu arrows to set the Active flow export timeout and Idle flow export timeout.

7

(Optional) Use the up and down menu arrows to set the Sampling rate.

The sampling rate represents the number of packets that NetFlow drops after every collected packet. A sampling rate of x instructs NetFlow to drop packets in a collected packets:dropped packets ratio 1:x. If the rate is 0, NetFlow samples every packet, that is, collect one packet and drop none. If the rate is 1, NetFlow samples a packet and drops the next one, and so on.

8

(Optional) Select Process internal flows only to collect data only on network activity between virtual machines on the same host.

9

Click OK.