This article helps in understanding the differences between Exporter Traffic and Traffic Pattern and what are they used for.
Exporter Traffic
Traffic Pattern
Setup
provided by default
requires custom setup
Based on
physical infrastructure
logical definition
Nodes
exporters and interfaces
Traffic Patterns, Subnet Sets and Subnets
Monitors
traffic on routers, L3 switches and interfaces
specific (custom defined) traffic
Analysis focus
whole traffic on specific physical infrastructure
specific traffic between two networks
Level of expertise
fast setup and easy to understand
complex setup and harder to understand
In general you will use:
Exporter Traffic when you are interested in monitoring the bandwidth of an interface or exporter (whole traffic passing through the physical infrastructure)
Traffic Patterns to isolate a specific type of traffic (traffic via specific ports, protocols, AS etc.): YouTube Traffic, certain service traffic, blocked traffic etc.
Traffic Patterns with Subnet Sets to monitor whole or specific traffic per logical unit: company departments, regional company offices, member organisations, data centre traffic etc.