GE ML1200 Switch User Manual


 
MULTILINK ML1200 MANAGED FIELD SWITCH – INSTRUCTION MANUAL 16–1
Multilink ML1200
Managed Field Switch
Chapter 16: SNMP
Digital Energy
Multilin
SNMP
16.1 Overview
16.1.1 Description
SImple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) enables management of the network. There
are many software packages which provide a graphical interface and a graphical view of
the network and its devices. These graphical interface and view would not be possible
without SNMP. SNMP is thus the building block for network management.
16.1.2 SNMP Concepts
SNMP provides the protocol to extract the necessary information from a networked device
and display the information. The information is defined and stored in a Management
Information Base (MIB). MIB is the “database” of the network management information.
SNMP has evolved over the years (since 1988) using the RFC process. Several RFCs define
the SNMP standards. The most common standards for SNMP are SNMP v1 (the original
version of SNMP); SNMP v2 and finally SNMP v3.
SNMP is a poll based mechanism. SNMP manager polls the managed device for
information and display the information retrieved in text or graphical manner. Some
definitions related to SNMP are
Authentication - The process of ensuring message integrity and protection against
message replays. It includes both data integrity and data origin authentication
Authoritative SNMP engine - One of the SNMP copies involved in network
communication designated to be the allowed SNMP engine which protects against
message replay, delay, and redirection. The security keys used for authenticating and
encrypting SNMPv3 packets are generated as a function of the authoritative SNMP
engine's engine ID and user passwords. When an SNMP message expects a response
(for example, get exact, get next, set request), the receiver of these messages is