THE IMPORTANCE OF
BEING… SNMP
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
is a communication protocol defined by the
Internet Architecture Board (IAB) in RFC1157
for exchanging management information
between network devices.
It allows for remote and local management of
items on the network: if the networked device
is SNMP capable, you can enable and configure
it to start collecting and monitoring
information, and you can do this in as many
network devices as you want from a single
point.
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
What does SNMP do?
➢ Monitor inbound and outbound Traffic flowing through the device;
➢ Early Detection of faults within network devices along with Alerts/Notifications;
➢ Analyzing data collected from devices over long periods to identify any long time issue;
➢ Ability to remotely configure compatible devices;
➢ Access and Control devices remotely that are connected via SNMP.
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
SNMP consists of:
✓ SNMP Manager (Network Management System)
✓ SNMP Agents
✓ Managed Device (including Transmitters, Servers, Switches, Routers,
and more)
✓ MIB (Management Information Base, also known as Management
Information Database).
SNMP Manager
An SNMP manager or SNMP management system is a process running on a management workstation that
requests information about devices on the network.
This is typically a computer used to run one or more network
management systems.
The SNMP Manager key functions are:
• To Query agents
• To Get responses from agents
• To Set variables in agents
• To Acknowledge asynchronous events from agents.
SNMP Agent
The agent is a process running on each managed node collecting information about the device it is running on
(transmitter, router, UPSs, etc).
When enabled and configured, the agent allows to collect the management information database from the
device locally and makes it available to the SNMP manager, when it is queried for.
These agents could be standard (e.g. Net-SNMP) or specific to a
vendor (developed by the producer of the device).
The SNMP agent key functions are:
• To Collect management information about its local environment;
• To Stores and To retrieve management information as defined in
the MIB;
• To Signal an event to the manager;
• To Act as a proxy for some non–SNMP manageable network node.
Managed Devices
A managed device or network element is a part of the network that requires some form
of monitoring and management e.g. transmitters, air conditioners, UPSs, etc.
Management Information Base (MIB)
Management Information Base (or MIB) files are the set of questions that a SNMP
Manager can ask the agent.
Agent collects these data locally and stores it, as defined in the MIB. So, the SNMP
Manager should be aware of these standard and private questions for every type of
agent.
The NMS (Network Management system) polls/requests the Agent of a given device,
which then shares its organized information from the database (MIB) with the NMS,
which then further translates it into alerts, reports, graphs and more.
Management Information Base (MIB)
Typically these MIB contains standard set of
statistical and control values defined for the
broadcast transmitter. SNMP also allows the
extension of these standard values with factory
customized values specific to a particular agent
through the use of private MIBs.
The request sent by NMS is a number with the
MIB and the Object of Interest, along with
something called the Instance.
OID Number
OID = [Link].[Link].0
Breakdown of OID Number
The first 2 parts of the number
MIB Object of Interest Instance sent to the Agent (MIB and
[Link].2.1.1 3 0 Object of Interest, which in this
case is System Uptime) is called
MIB SysUptime Object Instance the Object Identifier or OID.
Basic commands of SNMP
The simplicity in information exchange has made the SNMP as widely accepted protocol. The main commands are listed here below:
• GET: it is a request sent by the manager to the agent. It is performed to retrieve one or more values from the MIB of the
managed device.
• GET NEXT: This operation is similar to the GET one. The significant difference is that the GET NEXT operation retrieves the value of
the next OID in the MIB tree.
• GET BULK: The GETBULK operation is used to retrieve voluminous data from large MIB table by using lots of different GETNEXT
commands.
• SET: It changes the value of the Managed device (MIB variable).
• RESPONSE: The agent sends a RESPONSE to the SNMP manager when replying to a GET request. This provides the SNMP manager
with the variables that were requested originally.
• TRAPS: Unlike the above commands which are initiated from the SNMP Manager, TRAPS are initiated by the Agents. It is a signal
to the SNMP Manager by the Agent on the occurrence of an event (typically a notification of something unexpected, like an error).
• INFORM: This command is similar to the TRAP initiated by the Agent, additionally INFORM includes confirmation from the SNMP
manager on receiving the message.
How to use SNMP
MIB can be accessed with free MIB browsers and the data can be converted in any customized
graphic page. This allows a light passage of data between Agent and Manager because all the
web graphic is not stored in the Agent but can be defined in the Manager unit.
This kind of communication protocol is mainly
used in the big network systems where many
stations must be monitored at the same time
and so it is easier to plan a global monitoring
graphic to check all the transmitters at the
same time. However the customer could
implement its own monitoring page displaying
the transmitter parameters without using the
web control page prepared by the supplier.
LET’S SUMMARIZE!
NETWORK DEVICE
AGENT
Collects the MIB from the
device locally and makes it
available for the NMS.
NMS
Host that contains Software that
polls SNMP devices at intervals to
collect information and values of
different devices.
MIB TABLE
Information database describing the managed
network device parameters and values.
You think this option might be interesting, but you
don't know where to find it?
We remind you that in all DB Mozart Serie
transmitters, when you order the WEB remote
control, the SNMP is already included!
Contact DB Elettronica for more information!
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