Aranya Dutta
Writing/CICFlowMeter API (Dockerized)
2026.01.15Projects

CICFlowMeter API (Dockerized)

This project provides a REST API wrapper around CICFlowMeter using FastAPI and Docker.

The API accepts a PCAP file, processes it using CICFlowMeter inside a Docker container, and returns the generated CSV flow files as a ZIP archive.

This setup is designed to:

  • Be easy to run
  • Be reproducible using Docker
  • Work with large PCAP files
  • Keep the Java/Gradle logic isolated from the API layer

How It Works (High Level)

  1. Client uploads a PCAP file via API
  2. PCAP is saved to /pcap inside the container
  3. CICFlowMeter is executed using Gradle
  4. CSV flow files are generated in /flow
  5. All CSVs are zipped
  6. ZIP file is returned to the client

Only one request is processed at a time.

Project Structure

/
├── api/            # FastAPI application
├── code/           # CICFlowMeter source (cloned in Docker)
├── pcap/           # Uploaded PCAP files
├── flow/           # Generated CSV flow files
├── gradle-task     # Custom Gradle task (runcmd)
├── Dockerfile
└── README.md

Requirements

  • Docker (Docker Desktop recommended)
  • No local Java, Gradle, or Python setup required

Build the Docker Image

From the project root:

docker build -t cicflow-api .

Run the API

docker run -it --rm -p 8000:8000 --name cicflow-api-container cicflow-api

Once running, the API will be available at:

http://localhost:8000

API Documentation (Swagger UI)

FastAPI automatically provides interactive documentation:

http://localhost:8000/docs

Use this page to:

  • Upload a PCAP file
  • Test the API directly from the browser

API Endpoint

POST /process

Description: Uploads a PCAP file, processes it, and returns flow CSV files as a ZIP.

Request:

  • multipart/form-data
  • Single file upload (.pcap)

Response:

  • application/zip
  • Contains CSV flow files

Notes & Assumptions

  • Only one API request is processed at a time
  • Temporary cleanup is minimal (PCAP files are removed after processing)
  • This project currently runs entirely inside a Docker container
  • Designed for experimentation and research use

Author

Aranya Dutta

thisizaro

License

This project is provided under the MIT License.

You are free to:

  • Use
  • Modify
  • Distribute

With attribution.

CICFlowMeter itself is licensed separately. Please refer to its original repository for details.

Acknowledgements

  • Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity (CICFlowMeter)
  • FastAPI
  • Docker
dockerfastapinetworking