Supported Devices and IOS Versions

As described in this chapter, NetFlow is not just a single feature, but a set of different features. It has features related to the NetFlow metering process part, such as Router-Based Aggregation, MPLS-Aware NetFlow, NetFlow Input Filters, and Sampled NetFlow. Additionally, other features address the NetFlow protocol (such as versions 5, 8, and 9). Therefore, listing all the different features along with the IOS releases, platforms, and line cards would be extensive and still offer limited information. Furthermore, due to the growing adoption of NetFlow features on the Cisco platforms, line cards, and IOS versions, there is a risk of presenting obsolete information. The suggested approach to get the latest NetFlow information is to check the Cisco website at http://www.cisco.com/go/netflow. Specifically, the Cisco Feature Navigator tool lists NetFlow features per platform and IOS version. Table 7-11 offers an overview of the most important NetFlow features separated by platform families: the software-based platforms (7500 and below), the 12000 router, and the Catalyst 6500/Cisco 7600. This table also demonstrates that most of the NetFlow features are implemented in software initially and are ported in hardware on the different platforms.

Table 7-11. Supported Features Per Device
NetFlow Features	Software-Based Platforms	12000	Catalyst 6500
Export Version 5
Export Version 7
Export Version 8
Export Version 9
Flexible NetFlow		12.0(33)S
Sampled NetFlow	Random	Deterministic	Flow-based
Input Filters
MPLS-Aware
BGP Next Hop
Multicast
Layer 2 Security			^[*]
Top Talkers
SCTP