Top Conversation vs Top Application

WSC15

Wondering what tool is best to troubleshoot slow response issues due to high bandwidth utilization - Top Conversations or Top Applications

Based on the Help Guide I would assume that Top Application would be the tool, but as I'm new to the Solarwind tool I thought I would ask the experts )

Top XX Applications

Provides an at a glance view of the applications that are used most for traffic over the selected interface. The table below the chart provides the application name, the amount of data that is flowing, the equivalent total number of packets, and the percentage of all traffic that can be attributed to the selected application.

Top XX Conversations

Provides a list of conversations routed through the selected device, using the selected application. Conversations are listed with the amount of data transferred in the conversation, in both bytes and packets, and the percentage of total application traffic generated by the conversation.

 

Thanks

kweise

Really, you want to look at both.  The top applications will tell you which applications are the top bandwidth hogs and the top conversations will tell you which endpoints are hogging the bandwidth.  Knowing which applications lets you determine if the traffic is supposed to be there or not.  Knowing which hosts are the top talkers will show you who is using the bandwidth.  If the application traffic isn't legitimate traffic (i.e. streaming video or audio, or virus generated traffic), the top conversations will show the offending host.  You can use that information to remove the offending host from the network.