The basic operation of the Data Collection service is to accept probe data in the common FINSTIX format via the Data Collection service API and pass it on to the Data Layer. Additionally, for the Skydive network probe, observed-data objects are:

• Accumulated per flow type;
• Summarized at regular intervals;
• Passed to the Data Layer as digests in the form of FINSTIX x-collected-data objects.

The Data Collector also provides a registration API for the probes. Each probe supplies an x-probe object describing itself, and the Data Collector stores it in the Data Layer.

The technology architecture of the Data Collection service consists of a web server implemented in Steel Bank Common Lisp with library management provided by the Quicklisp system. The server accepts REST calls and uses the services of the Data Layer for data management. Log messages are printed to standard output.