A method comprising: receiving, at an Internet Protocol Flow Information Export "IPFIX" collector, at least one IPFIX message from an IPFIX exporter implemented on a remote device, the remote device comprising a router; identifying, within the IPFIX message, a data set exported by the IPFIX exporter implemented on the remote device; identifying, within the IPFIX message, a data-level indicator that indicates whether the data set is: a primary data set observed by an observation domain implemented on one or more line cards installed to a routing engine of the remote device; or a secondary data set derived by an observation cloud implemented on the routing engine of the remote device, wherein the derived data is obtained through lookup and/or translation at the routing engine and the observed data is obtained without lookup or translation at the routing engine; identifying, at the IPFIX collector, a database of a plurality of databases that corresponds to the data-level indicator identified within the IPFIX message, wherein the plurality of databases comprises a first database dedicated to storing primary data sets and a second database dedicated to storing secondary data sets; storing the data set in the database identified in accordance with the data-level indicator; and performing at least one action based at least in part on the data set stored in the identified database. receiving, at an Internet Protocol Flow Information Export "IPFIX" collector, at least one IPFIX message from an IPFIX exporter implemented on a remote device, the remote device comprising a router; identifying, within the IPFIX message, a data set exported by the IPFIX exporter implemented on the remote device; identifying, within the IPFIX message, a data-level indicator that indicates whether the data set is: a primary data set observed by an observation domain implemented on one or more line cards installed to a routing engine of the remote device; or a secondary data set derived by an observation cloud implemented on the routing engine of the remote device, wherein the derived data is obtained through lookup and/or translation at the routing engine and the observed data is obtained without lookup or translation at the routing engine; a primary data set observed by an observation domain implemented on one or more line cards installed to a routing engine of the remote device; or a secondary data set derived by an observation cloud implemented on the routing engine of the remote device, wherein the derived data is obtained through lookup and/or translation at the routing engine and the observed data is obtained without lookup or translation at the routing engine; identifying, at the IPFIX collector, a database of a plurality of databases that corresponds to the data-level indicator identified within the IPFIX message, wherein the plurality of databases comprises a first database dedicated to storing primary data sets and a second database dedicated to storing secondary data sets; storing the data set in the database identified in accordance with the data-level indicator; and performing at least one action based at least in part on the data set stored in the identified database.