topic API for MX live uplink traffic in Network Platform API

API for MX live uplink traffic

czzrichard — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 22:34:27 GMT

I'm new to API, recently finished the Devnet Meraki Express course.

I have been searching for the Dashboard API for live uplink traffic.

My idea is to fetch the data every 5 mins and convert to a flow chart in xls or google sheet. (Similar to Cisco IOS SNMP poll with Solarwinds or other monitoring tool)

I can't find anything on API guide

https://developer.cisco.com/meraki/api/#/rest/getting-started

I did find API for latency and loss....

Can anyone point me to the right direction?

Re: API for MX live uplink traffic

jdsilva — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 22:54:44 GMT

Hey @czzrichard,

Personally, I prefer this reference for API info: https://api.meraki.com/api_docs

But use whichever you prefer. Just providing options 🙂

As far as I'm aware there isn't an API endpoint to pull the live traffic data. I don't think you will be able to do what you are asking. Sorry.

Re: API for MX live uplink traffic

Christian_Ney — Sat, 08 Feb 2020 15:06:58 GMT

Rather than using the API, you could leverage Netflow. Something that‘s designed for this kind of task. 😉

Re: API for MX live uplink traffic

czzrichard — Sun, 09 Feb 2020 22:36:12 GMT

Hi @Christian_Ney ,

Could you please elaborate a bit more on netflow with live network traffic data?

Re: API for MX live uplink traffic

Christian_Ney — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 07:09:45 GMT

Sure: Netflow is being used on networking equipment to showtraffic going over it.

It's a combined architecture with three components:

Flow exporter: aggregates packets into flows and exports flow records towards one or more flow collectors.
Flow collector: responsible for reception, storage and pre-processing of flow data received from a flow exporter.
Analysis application: analyzes received flow data in the context of intrusion detection or traffic profiling, for example.

The exporter is typically a switch, router, firewall or loadbalancer. Flow data consists (at least) of

Ingress interface
Source IP address
Destination IP address
IP protocol
Source port for UDP or TCP, 0 for other protocols
Destination port for UDP or TCP, type and code for ICMP, or 0 for other protocols
IP Type of Service

So basically, you're leveraging information that's available directly within the network to see what's going on in your environment.

Re: API for MX live uplink traffic

czzrichard — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 03:45:33 GMT

Thanks @Christian_Ney

Will try that on the Auvik environment.

In this case, my netflow has to be on the Meraki LAN, not on the internet right?

Re: API for MX live uplink traffic

Christian_Ney — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 07:08:13 GMT

I‘d guess. In Meraki-land the only device capable of delivering Netflow is the MX. It acts as the exporter then. You‘d have to implement at least a collector too additionally. Don‘t know if Auvik provides you with that.