In this scenario, the most likely primary cause for the traffic spikes is the data backup and replication processes that might be running during peak business hours. Here is a comprehensive, step-by-step explanation:

Identify Traffic Patterns:

Unusual traffic patterns and periodic spikes suggest scheduled processes or tasks, such as data backups or replication, which are bandwidth-intensive.

Analyze Backup Schedules:

Data centers often schedule backups and data replication to ensure data integrity and disaster recovery. If these tasks are running during business hours, they can saturate network links.

Bandwidth Utilization:

Data backup and replication consume significant bandwidth. If these tasks coincide with peak business hours, they can cause network congestion, leading to packet loss and application failures.

Immediate Action:

Liaise with the data center team to reschedule backup operations to non-peak hours, such as late nights or weekends, when the network is underutilized.

Ensure that backup processes are bandwidth-aware, using techniques like bandwidth throttling to limit the amount of bandwidth they can use during critical business hours.

Implement Monitoring:

Use the Network Performance Monitoring & Diagnostics (NPMD) tool to continuously monitor traffic patterns and ensure that any future anomalies are quickly identified and addressed.

By addressing the scheduling of data backup and replication processes, you can alleviate the network congestion, ensuring optimal performance for all critical business operations.