computer science

Multi Router Traffic Grapher

Multi Router Traffic Grapher is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Multi Router Traffic Grapher rather than just read about it. In short: The Multi Router Traffic Grapher (MRTG) is free software for monitoring and measuring the traffic load on network links. It allows the user to see traffic load on a network over time in graphical form.

Key takeaways

Multi Router Traffic Grapher belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Multi Router Traffic Grapher to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Multi Router Traffic Grapher from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Multi Router Traffic Grapher (MRTG) is free software for monitoring and measuring the traffic load on network links. It allows the user to see traffic load on a network over time in graphical form. It was originally developed by Tobias Oetiker and Dave Rand to monitor router traffic, but has developed into a tool that can create graphs and statistics for almost anything. MRTG is written in Perl and can run on Windows, Linux, Unix, Mac OS and NetWare.

How it works

SNMP MRTG uses the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to send requests with two object identifiers (OIDs) to a device. The device, which must be SNMP-enabled, will have a management information base (MIB) to look up the OIDs specified. After collecting the information it will send back the raw data encapsulated in an SNMP protocol. MRTG records this data in a log on the client along with previously recorded data for the device. The software then creates an HTML document from the logs, containing a list of graphs detailing traffic for the selected devices in the server.

Script output Alternatively, MRTG can be configured to run a script or command, and parse its output for counter values. The MRTG website contains a large library of external scripts to enable monitoring of SQL database statistics, firewall rules, CPU fan RPMs, or virtually any integer-value data.

Features

Measures two values (I for Input, O for Output) per target. Gets its data via an SNMP agent, or through the output of a command line. Typically collects data every five minutes (it can be configured to collect data less frequently). Creates an HTML page per target that features four graphs (GIF or PNG images). Results are plotted vs time into day, week, month and year graphs, with the I plotted as a full green area, and the O as a blue line. Automatically scales the Y axis of the graphs to show the most detail. Adds calculated Max, Average and Current values for both I and O to the target's HTML page. Can also send warning emails if targets have values above a certain threshold.

Illustrations

Multi Router Traffic Grapher illustration

Multi Router Traffic Grapher: A sample MRTG bandwidth graph. — A sample MRTG bandwidth graph.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Multi Router Traffic Grapher

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Multi Router Traffic Grapher claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Multi Router Traffic Grapher before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Multi Router Traffic Grapher ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Multi Router Traffic Grapher

In research: Multi Router Traffic Grapher appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Multi Router Traffic Grapher in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Multi Router Traffic Grapher is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Free network management software, Internet Protocol based network software, Network analyzers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Multi Router Traffic Grapher outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Multi Router Traffic Grapher in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Multi Router Traffic Grapher means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Multi Router Traffic Grapher out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Multi Router Traffic Grapher in simple terms?

Why does Multi Router Traffic Grapher matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Multi Router Traffic Grapher?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Multi Router Traffic Grapher.