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. <EOS>