Chapter 4. Configuration

Any configuration options are done in Options menu. Visibility of options depends on your access rights, so that the common user can't see many of these settings. Latest released version has 17 option submenus:

4.1. Global settings

In the "Global settings" you can change the skin of the web interface, default SNMP community string, overview, email, DNS, authentication and graph icon settings.

In the "Basic tab" you can enable or disable checking for new versions of the software, displaying the last logins and/or displaying license(s) expiration warnings, change the skin of the web interface, style of menu and submenu and default SNMP community string. You can also enable graph antialiasing feature to smooth any graph.

Figure 4.1. Global settings window - Basic settings.

Global settings window - Basic settings.

In the "Overview tab" you can set up collector overview options. If you select the option "Display overview statistic", you will see how many bytes, packets, flows and rows each collector parsed. The option "Overviews per row" gives you ability to configure how many collector windows will be in one row. This value can be set between 3 and 10 windows.

You can also enable or disable generation of utilization graphs via the option "Display overview utilization graphs". The option "Utilization graph history" gives you the ability to determine how long the history will be displayed. This value can be set between 30 and 360 minutes. The options "graph width and height" gives you the ability to set up graph size. If you prefer displaying values per second instead of per minute you may enable the "Utilization graph values per second instead of per minute" option. Data volume utilization may be displayed in bits instead of in bytes by selecting the "Utilization graph values in bits instead of in bytes" option. The latest option "Utilization graph without traffic statistic" disables displaying average and maximum values in the overview graph.

Figure 4.2. Global settings window - Overview settings.

Global settings window - Overview settings.

In the "Email tab" you can set up software administrator email address. If you select the option "email logins to administrator", all users who login will be reported to the administrator's email address. The "Email bugs to administrator" option enables sending of warning email to the administrator in case when any exception occurs in the web interface.

Figure 4.3. Global settings window - E-mail settings.

Global settings window - E-mail settings.

In the "DNS tab" you can set up domain name results cache. We recommend enabling DNS caching option. If you enable DNS caching, all domain name resolution queries will be cached and stored on your system disc. Positive and negative timeout parameters give you the ability to set how long queries will be stored in the cache.

Figure 4.4. Global settings window - DNS settings.

Global settings window - DNS settings.

In the "Authentication tab" you can configure other authentication mechanisms. Caligare Flow Inspector can use LDAP authentication extension that uses LDAP server for user authentication. For example you can use the following LDAP server URL: ldap://ldap1.mycompany.com and LDAP bind DN: uid=%u,ou=people,dc=mycompany,dc=com A percent sign (%), followed by character (u) is replaced by username.

CFI version 3.2.4 implemented an external authentication extension that uses local system scripts or programs for user authentication. The program or script reads the entered password on a standard input, and if the user is authenticated the return code is sent back as zero. A non-zero return code means that the user entered a bad password or script error. For example you can use the following command: /usr/bin/nf_auth_pam %u

A percent sign (%), followed by character (u) is replaced by username. Program nf_auth_pam uses LINUX system authentication module (PAM). Netflow monitoring package also includes script nf_auth_smb with which you can authenticate users via your windows domain controller. For more information about windows authentication see /usr/bin/nf_auth_smb file.

If you want to enable anonymous login, create new account that will be used for anonymous login first. In the global settings enable anonymous login and assign an anonymous username to anonymous account.

Figure 4.5. Global settings window - Authentication settings.

Global settings window - Authentication settings.

In the "Graph Icon tab" you may enable attach each graph with icon (i.e. company logo). You can import graph icon image(s) and assign your company logo to all graphs. See "Image store" menu for more information about upload images. Parameter Alpha factor specifies (in percent 10-100) how much of the icon should be mixed in on top of the background. Parameters Position-X and Position-Y indicate the position where a graph icon will be displayed. The position can be specified as either a absolute coordinates or as a fraction of the width and height respectively. A negative value means that the anchor will be right or below the icon.

Examples:

  • Position-X=0 Position-Y=0 => logo will be displayed in the top left corner.
  • Position-X=10 Position-Y=10 => logo will be displayed 10pixels from the top and 10 pixels from the left.
  • Position-X=-1 Position-Y=-1 => logo will be displayed in the bottom right corner.
  • Position-X=1 Position-Y=-3 => logo will be displayed 3pixels from the botom and 1 pixel from the left.
  • Position-X=0.5 Position-Y=0.5 => logo will be displayed in the center of graph.

Figure 4.6. Global settings window - Graph Icon settings.

Global settings window - Graph Icon settings.