Monitoring API

The Monitoring API project is a powerful programming interface that streamlines network monitoring software development while giving users the opportunity to express their monitoring requirements in a device-agnostic manner. With MAPI, network flow is the primary abstraction. This is a departure from traditional network monitoring systems that used flows without assigning them first-class status.

Applications that utilize this API can specify which flows or flow statistics interest them by applying functions to the flows. These functions can range from simple ones like packet counter or string search to more elaborate ones like NetFlow generator or BPF filter. If the hardware being used has support for it, these functions will automatically execute in hardware.

MAPI currently supports the following hardware: Normal NICs via libpcap, DAG cards without co-processor, and SCAMPI adapter. In this latest release, MAPI has added support for distributed monitoring, several new MAPI functions, demo applications, and an array of bug fixes.

Overall, the Monitoring API project is a user-friendly and efficient way to develop network monitoring software that is adaptable to different devices. It brings enhanced flexibility and ease to the process, allowing for a more robust and reliable end product.