---
title: "Non-Flow Metrics"
slug: "non-flow-metrics"
description: "Explore non-flow metrics in Kentik queries to monitor CPU, Memory, and Interface utilization, enhancing network health insights beyond traditional flow records."
updated: 2026-02-12T16:57:16Z
published: 2026-02-12T16:57:16Z
canonical: "kb.kentik.com/non-flow-metrics"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://kb.kentik.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Non-Flow Metrics

This article discusses **non-flow metrics** used in Kentik queries.

Non-flow metrics allow you to monitor health indicators, such as CPU, Memory, and Interface utilization, that traditional flow records do not capture. These metrics are primarily derived from **SNMP polling** and **Streaming Telemetry (ST)**.

> [!NOTE]
> **Notes**:
> 
> - For general information about how Kentik handles data, see [**About Metrics**](/v1/docs/metrics-dimensions#about-metrics).
> - For metrics specific to individual hardware vendors, see [**Device-Specific Metrics**](/v1/docs/device-specific-metrics).

## SNMP Metrics

When [**SNMP OID Polling**](/v1/docs/router-configuration#snmp-oid-polling) is enabled, Kentik enriches the Kentik Data Engine (KDE) with health and performance data. These metrics use [**Universal Data Records**](/v1/docs/kde-tables#universal-data-records) (UDR), providing a flexible schema that adapts to different device types.

### Query Restrictions

To ensure data accuracy, SNMP metrics are subject to the following logic in the [**Dimension Selector**](/v1/docs/dimension-settings#dimension-selector-dialog):

- **No Mixing:** SNMP metrics cannot be mixed with flow-based metrics (e.g., Bits/s) in the same query.
- **Dimension Matching:** Results only return if the query’s dimensions (Group By/Filter) are also from the SNMP category.

## SNMP Interface Metrics

These metrics are collected from network interfaces using standard [**Kentik-Polled SNMP OIDs**](/v1/docs/router-configuration#kentikpolled-snmp-oids). They are typically used to monitor port saturation and physical link health.

| Metric in Portal | Variations | OID | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bit Rate | Input, Output | `ifHCInOctets`,`ifHCOutOctets` | Rate of bits received/transmitted, including framing. |
| Packets | Input, Output | `ifHCInUcastPkts`, `ifHCOutUcastPkts` | Rate of unicast packets (excludes discards). |
| Errors | Input, Output | `ifInErrors`, `ifOutErrors` | Inbound/outbound packets containing delivery-preventing errors. |
| Discards | Input, Output | `ifInDiscards`, `ifOutDiscards` | Packets dropped by the device (e.g., due to buffer exhaustion). |
| Multicast | Input, Output | `ifHCInMulticastPkts`, `ifHCOutMulticastPkts` | Rate of packets addressed to a multicast group. |
| Broadcast | Input, Output | `ifHCInBroadcastPkts`, `ifHCOutBroadcastPkts` | Rate of packets addressed to a broadcast address. |

> [!TIP]
> **TIP:** All SNMP metrics above can be aggregated in the Portal as **Average**, **95th Percentile**, **Max**, or **Total**.

## SNMP Device Metrics

Device metrics track the internal health of a chassis or its individual components (e.g., line cards). These are identified in the portal using the Component dimension.

| Metric in Portal | Description |
| --- | --- |
| CPU | The percentage of CPU utilization for the component. |
| Memory Total | The total physical memory (in bytes) on the component. |
| Memory Used | The amount of memory (in bytes) currently in use. |
| Memory Free | The amount of memory (in bytes) currently available. |
| Memory Utilization | The percentage of total memory used by the component. |

For a list of supported OIDs by manufacturer, see [**Vendor-Specific SNMP OIDs**](/v1/docs/router-configuration#vendorspecific-snmp-oids).

## Streaming Telemetry Metrics

If [**Streaming Telemetry**](/v1/docs/snmp-and-streaming-telemetry) is enabled, you can query interface metrics that are pushed by the device in real-time rather than polled via SNMP.

> [!WARNING]
> **IMPORTANT**: **Which ST are you using?**
> 
> - **NMS Implementation**: If you are using Kentik NMS, refer to [**NMS via Streaming Telemetry**](/v1/docs/nms-setup#nms-via-streaming-telemetry).
> - **Legacy Implementation**: This section describes the non-NMS Streaming Telemetry workflow used for classic KDE queries.

### Usage in Portal

Streaming Telemetry metrics share the same names and calculation methods as the SNMP Interface Metrics listed above. However, when building a query (e.g., in [**Data Explorer**](/v1/docs/data-explorer)), you must select them from the Streaming Telemetry category in the Metrics dialog.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note**: Just like SNMP, ST metrics cannot be mixed with metrics from other categories in a single query.