NetFlow is based on the concept of flows, which are sequences of packets between a source and destination during a specific time interval. Instead of analyzing individual packets, NetFlow aggregates data into flows, making it more scalable for analyzing large amounts of network traffic.
NetFlow-enabled devices, such as routers and switches, can export NetFlow data to a collector or analyzer. This data typically includes information such as source and destination IP addresses, source and destination ports, the number of packets and bytes in the flow, timestamps, and other relevant details.