This document provides an introduction to data analysis, focusing on network analysis. It defines data analysis as inspecting, cleaning, transforming and modeling data to discover useful information, trends and patterns to aid decision making. Common tools for network analysis include tcpdump and Wireshark. Tcpdump is a command line packet analyzer while Wireshark provides a graphical user interface. Python can also be used with various libraries for network log analysis. Data analysis is then classified into different types like descriptive, exploratory, inferential and predictive.

1. Introduction to data analysis
Ashok Govindarajan
(Technologist, Zilogic
Systems)
23/07/23 Technology sharing series 1

2. Contents
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• What is data analysis?
• Why data analysis?
• Common loggers and analysers used in
networking context
• General classification of data analysis
• Python pre-req/lbraries
• Network/Packet log analysis

3. What is data analysis?
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• It is the process of inspecting, cleaning,
transforming and modeling data with the goal of
●
Discovering useful information
●
Spotting trends, patterns
●
Aiding decision making
●
Some common examples are : Weather
forecasting, Stock market predictions,
Election forecasting, Betting in sports

4. Why data analysis?
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• System operation
• System performance
• Identifying issues, debugging
• Maintenance of systems and associated
decision making is a key factor for doing
data analysis – Logs are one of the inputs
for data analysis
• By system here, in this context, we are referring
to either a wired or a wireless network

5. Common logs and tools for network analysis
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• Tcpdump
• Wireshark
• Python – can be used for both tcpdump and
wireshark
• tcpdump is a data-network packet analyzer
computer program that runs under a command
line interface. It allows the user to display
TCP/IP and other packets being transmitted or
received over a network to which the computer is
attached; Primarily used for simple scan of
network logs

6. Common logs and tools for network analysis
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• Wireshark is a network packet analyzer. A
network packet analyzer that presents captured
packet data in as much detail as possible in GUI.
• A network packet analyzer as a measuring device
for examining what’s happening inside a network
cable, just like an electrician uses a voltmeter for
examining what’s happening inside an electric
cable
• In the past, such tools were either very
expensive, proprietary, or both. However, with
the advent of Wireshark, that has changed.
Wireshark is available for free, is open source,
and is one of the best packet analyzers available

7. Python libraries/pre-req
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• Numpy
• Scipy
• Matplotlib
• Pandas
• Scapy

8. Data analysis classification
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• Descriptive
• Exploratory
• Inferential
• Predictive
• Causal
• Mechanistic