18
DATA IN FLIGHT
The
secrets
within
Unlocking data traffic
intelligence
CIO at ExtraHop Networks John Matthews explains how Stream Analytics
can transform data-in-motion into a force multiplier for enterprise IT
It’s no secret that data centre traffic is exploding in
volume. According to Cisco, “…global IP traffic has
increased fivefold over the past five years and will increase
threefold over the next five years.” Between 2014 and
2019 the compound annual growth rate for IP traffic is
expected to be 23 per cent. Within that traffic (data-inmotion) exists a wealth of information not only about
networks and applications, but about businesses and
the customers that they serve. This is potentially highly
valuable raw data, but transforming that raw material into
actionable information is a challenge all of its own.
Stream analytics is the key to unlocking the insights
present within data centre traffic. According to Andrew
Brust a respected thought-leader in big data and analytics,
“Streaming data processing, and stream data analytics are
becoming central to many businesses’ data strategies….
This has come about because companies want to respond
to phenomena as they occur, rather than the following day,
week, month or quarter.”
Delivering real-time insight
As Brust notes, one of, if not the core benefit of stream
analytics, is its real-time nature. Traditional performance
monitoring and management technologies like NPM and
APM, as well as more business-oriented analytics offerings,
typically perform retroactive analysis on stored data.
Historical analysis can certainly deliver insight, but when a
website is down on Cyber Monday, or a doctor can’t access
a critical patient record, or an active ransomware attack
is in