Solution overview brochure
Manage your
data efficiently
HPE DRAGON
Solution overview brochure
Page 2
Turning data into an actual format by extracting the relevant
information can enhance business decisions. Getting it from
traffic flows at the protocol level is the winning strategy.
HPE in telecommunication
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) helps the world’s communications service providers
transform the way they do business—to grow in a fast-changing market. They must meet the
huge demand for new services, and streamline internal operations. We are helping them drive
transformation with over 30 years of telecom experience, global IT leadership, expertise in
entertainment, and leadership in consumer devices.
As mass consumption becomes individualized, service providers manage a huge number of
customers, but handle them individually while offering customized services for specific needs.
To understand your customers’ needs, the first step is collecting necessary data so it can be
easily analyzed and evaluated so decisions can be made. Data captured directly from real-time
data flows is the perfect solution; it provides a correct understanding of the data, which results
in making good conclusions. It’s essential to use the correct mechanism, as obsolete data extraction
technologies cause data misinterpretation, which can result in negative consequences.
Network‑based vs. log‑based monitoring
Data capture, in general, uses network-based and log-based data collection approaches. When
captured from log databases and servers, any obstacles that arise from the database model
must be counted with latency and has no guarantees for up-to-date data. And, it’s also because
data stored in the database is accessed, but not transferred via the network.
In the new era, network-based monitoring has the advantage. These include data collected
directly from traffic flows going through the network; relevant information can be extracted
from data flows by going down to protocol levels; and all the collected data can be analyzed in
real time. The technology behind this network-based approach is called IP Probe.
Table 1: Advantages of network-based over log-based monitoring
LOG BASED
NETWORK BASED
Must handle various formats of stored information
Single data format on the IP network, such as SMTP
for email, is easy to interpret and retrieve format on the
IP network
Could necessitate professional services and custom
development to upgrade existing IT systems
Single point of capture directly from the network,
independent of existing IT systems
Could be complicated to collect and correlate data if
network is complex with many devices
Highly optimized information format: gain over 90%
volume on logs data only one line per event
IP Probes
Decode protocols extract information embedded in traffic, or transmit information over traffic
with Network Probes. It delivers this information—in the form of metadata and content feeds—
to a user-developed application that can leverage information provided by the probe.
The network probe acquires specific, required information and delivers it in a tabular format,
like in a database. This technology can also deliver packets and packet contents. And extracting
and delivering information from the network is performed in real time and can scale up 40 Gb/s.
Solution overview brochure
Page 3
HPE DRAGON Blue IP Probe (Deep Packet Inspection) Solution
HPE Telecom Analytics Solutions are improved by deep packet inspection (DPI) data collection, as
HPE Dragon Blue can be integrated for data retention, legal compliance, and warrant management.
DPI can also be deployed in the Intelligent Support Solutions as a service/cloud solution.
DRAGON data retention and legal compliance
Network
Mail
Server
Webmail
VoIP
AAA, Proxy,
DHCP, DNS,
Directory
Servers
+ non-IP
services
AIM
Server
Log based: extract information from
logs located on different servers
Yahoo IM
Server
Live Mail
Server
WOW
Skype
Facebook
Maktoob
Msn
Server
Network based: extract information traveling
on IP network and classify data for easy retrieval
Figure 1: DRAGON Data Retention: Data capture approaches
Lawful
interception
HPE Services
HPE Solution Lifecycle Services for the
communications and media industry help
you realize the full value of your solutions,
from planning and assessment, through
testing, deployment, operation, and
nearly continuous improvement.
• HPE Solution Consulting Services help
define business transformation and translate
strategies into actionable solutions.
• HPE Solution Implementation
Services offer a low-risk project lifecycle
across design, development, customization,
and network and system integration.
Web market
research
Cyber security
OTT services
• Gmail
• Facebook
Protocols
• Bit-torrent
• mySQL
Applications
• SAP
• Microsoft Office
• HPE Solutions Management Services
increase the operational efficiency of
your existing solutions, including
reactive, proactive, operational, and
enhancement services.
• HPE Services offer a variety of sourcing
options designed to improve business agility,
while reducing your operating expenditure.
Options include IT and infrastructure
outsourcing, application management,
and business process outsourcing.
Network
optimization
Infrastructure
• VMware
• McAfee
10010010
01001001001001001
Figure 2: User identification and data extraction across multiple applications
DPI Features include:
•Users are accurately identified across multiple applications, physical locations, terminals,
and identities.
•Only relevant data is extracted to save storage space and speed up post-processing.
•Probes, network-based, real-time monitoring can be implemented for data collection.
•Real-time traffic analysis is based on Layer 7 (deep packet inspection).
Protocol and application identification, based on a portfolio of analyzers, covers all types of
applications, including social networks (Facebook and Twitter), streaming and progressive
download (Flash video, YouTube, and Netflix), peer-to-peer (BitTorrent and eMule), VoIP (SIP
and RTP), messaging and chat (Skype, Windows Live, and Yahoo Messenger), and more.
Solution overview brochure
Extraction of traffic metadata is used for cases such as:
Benefits of probe technology
No impact on network operations
• No overhead on network devices is
generated by passive probes.
•Charging, for example, codec settings used by video streaming applications, provides a level
of quality by user and application to enable differentiated VIP plans, based on enhanced
quality of experience for certain applications.
• No impact results from network devices
upgrades, reconfiguration, or changes.
•Data retention includes extraction of senders and receivers of messages and calls, as well as
websites visited.
• No operational risk occurs due to Internet
Protocol Data Record (IPDR) generation.
•Real-time traffic analysis is at 40 Gb/s in a single probe.
More actionable information
Supported protocols include network and applications such as web mail, email, or database.
For each protocol, tens of metadata are delivered, which translates to thousands of metadata
in your application. These protocols are regularly updated, and new ones are added to the
protocol plugin library.
• Probes have been designed for IPDR
generation; network devices are not.
• Standardized IPDR provides
homogeneity in the network.
• IPDR generates smaller volumes of data
than server logs, resulting in lower total
cost of ownership and better reactivity.
IPDRs are richer than server logs
• Information for over the top applications
is not available on server logs.
• Visibility on nonbrowser-based
applications is provided.
• Subscriber information is correlated with
application-level information.
Network probe intelligence is embedded into your application so you can rely on real-time
visibility to develop applications, process traffic information, or store information for reporting or
traffic shaping.
Business benefits
DRAGON Blue Application IP Probe provides real-time visibility of traffic per user and
application. Probes are used as a trusted, third-party source of data to feed customized
systems used by telecom operators to perform various tasks, such as charging, subscriber
analytics, and data retention.
By providing full visibilities on what applications are used, when, by whom, and how, DRAGON
Blue probes enable telecom operators to:
•Understand how subscribers use the network to propose personalized plans and services
•Increase average revenue per user by developing tiered plans where billing is based on
application (app) usage and customized quality of service
•Comply with data retention or other national regulations
HPE advantage
DRAGON Blue, part of the HPE Telecom Analytics portfolio, provides a higher granular level of
visibility, offers more reactive updates, provides lower cost per Gb/s for network analysis, and
helps maintain log accuracy and integrity under heavy traffic loads.
DRAGON Blue provides better visibility in application usage at core network speed in real
time. Its protocols and applications analyzers cover nearly 100 percent of IP traffic, and provide
faster updates as protocols change and new applications emerge. DRAGON Blue probes are
the only appliances built for multipurpose network intelligence, enabling telecom operators to
leverage the most granular application-aware traffic analysis for building tailored, requirementspecific solutions.
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© Copyright 2011-2013, 2015-2016 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP. The information contained herein is subject to change
without notice. The only warranties for HPE products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such
products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HPE shall not be liable for technical or
editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
4AA3-7404ENW, September 2016, Rev. 4