US Patent 7587513 Efficient storage of network and application data

Network data is stored and retrieved from a network data repository configured for rapid data access and efficient usage of storage space. The network data repository includes a plurality of flow record folders. A flow record folder includes a location index and one or more circular buffers of record tables, each circular buffer corresponding to network data collected from a particular location. Network data is aggregated with more or less detail in different flow record folders, and network data in different flow record folders is retained for varying amounts of time.