API for MX live uplink traffic

[RichardChen1]

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?

[jdsilva · Accepted solution]

Hey @RichardChen1,

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. 

[CptnCrnch]

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

[RichardChen1]

Hi @CptnCrnch ,

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

[CptnCrnch]

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

1. Ingress interface
2. Source IP address
3. Destination IP address
4. IP protocol
5. Source port for UDP or TCP, 0 for other protocols
6. Destination port for UDP or TCP, type and code for ICMP, or 0 for other protocols
7. 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.

[RichardChen1]

Thanks @CptnCrnch 

Will try that on the Auvik environment.

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

[CptnCrnch]

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.