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9033645-01 SNMP Management 81
4. SNMP MANAGEMENT
The SNMP Protocol
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is a communication
protocol designed specifically for the purpose of managing devices or
other elements on a network. Network equipment commonly managed
with SNMP includes hubs, switches, routers, and host computers. SNMP
is typically used to configure these types of devices for proper operation
in their network environment, as well as to monitor them to evaluate their
performance and detect potential problems.
Managed entities supporting SNMP typically contain software, which runs
locally on the device and is referred to as an agent. In Figure 4-1, software
in an VH-2402S switch functions as an agent, monitoring and controlling
the functionality of the switch.
Figure 4-1. VH-2402S Switches Managed by an
SNMP Management Workstation
A defined set of variables, referred to as managed objects, is maintained
by the agent and used to manage the device. These objects are defined
in a Management Information Base (MIB) which allows for a standard
presentation of the information controlled by the agent over the network.
The software used to access the information maintained by the SNMP
agents across a network is referred to as the SNMP Manager, and
typically runs on a workstation.
The SNMP manager software uses a MIB specification, equivalent to that
which the agent maintains, to read and write objects controlled by the
agent for purposes of configuring and monitoring the device. SNMP
defines the format of the MIB specifications and the protocol used to
access this information.