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Network based application recognition

(also NBAR)

Network based application recognition definition

Network-based application recognition regulates network traffic based on the type of the application and examines data packets in real time. Moreover, it allows network administrators to employ different policies like bandwidth allocation, blocking, or prioritization based on the type of application traffic.

See also: network administrator

Use cases of NBAR:

  • Traffic and bandwidth management: NBAR can help network managers spot the applications that use vast amounts of bandwidth and then distribute the internet traffic more resourcefully. For example, they can prioritize business-like applications and stop or modify access to less important ones.
  • Security enforcement: NBAR helps implement security policies that restrict access to potentially harmful applications — that way, users are prevented from spreading malware, spyware, or unwanted software across the network.
  • QoS optimization: NBAR can improve quality-of-service by prioritizing latency-sensitive VoIP traffic, video streaming, or video conferencing.