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The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is a standards-based way for management software to monitor and control networked devices. A manager exchanges requests and notifications with an agent on a managed device, using managed objects defined through a Management Information Base (MIB). SNMP can retrieve information, attempt to change it, return responses, and send notifications.
What does SNMP stand for?
SNMP stands for Simple Network Management Protocol. It is a protocol for carrying management information and operations between network-management applications and managed devices. RFC 3416, Section 2, describes its purpose as “the transport of management information and operations.” RFC 3416 was published by the IETF in December 2002.
How does SNMP work?
SNMP uses a manager-and-agent arrangement. The manager is part of a management system; the agent runs on, or serves, a managed node and has access to management instrumentation. A managed node can be a host, router, terminal server, or another device whose management information is monitored or controlled.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match- The manager requests information or an action. It sends an SNMP message containing a protocol data unit (PDU) that identifies the operation and the managed objects involved.
- The agent processes the operation. The PDU indicates what the receiving SNMP engine should do. The agent can retrieve values, attempt a permitted change, or handle another defined operation.
- The agent returns a response or sends a notification. A response answers a request; a notification can report an event without a manager first asking to read that value.
This is the architecture described in the IETF’s RFC 3411. The exact access and security behavior depends on the framework and its configuration.
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What are an SNMP manager and agent?
Manager
A manager is the SNMP entity that runs applications to generate commands and/or receive notifications. Management software commonly uses it to monitor devices and, where permitted, control their managed information.
Agent
An agent is the SNMP entity associated with a managed node. It responds to management commands and/or originates notifications, using the device’s management instrumentation to access information.
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Managed device
The managed device, also called a managed element or node, is the host or network equipment whose management information is exposed to SNMP. The manager and agent are roles in the SNMP framework, not names for particular hardware products.
What are the MIB and SMI?
The Management Information Base (MIB) is a virtual store of managed objects that can be accessed through SNMP. It is the information model—not the protocol itself. The Structure of Management Information (SMI) defines the notation and mechanisms used to describe those objects; related objects are organized into MIB modules. An SNMP operation refers to managed objects so the manager and agent can identify the information or setting involved.
What operations can SNMP perform?
SNMP is not read-only by definition. Its operations include reads, a write operation that attempts to modify management information, responses, and notifications. RFC 3411 classifies operations into read, write, response, notification, and internal categories; RFC 3416 defines the protocol operations, including these examples:
| Purpose | Examples | What they do |
|---|---|---|
| Read | GetRequest, GetNextRequest, GetBulkRequest | Request managed-object information. |
| Write | SetRequest | Attempt to change management information. |
| Response | Response | Return a response to an operation. |
| Notification | Trapv2, InformRequest | Send notification information; Trapv2 is unconfirmed, while InformRequest is confirmed. |
| Internal | Report | Support an internal protocol function. |
The operation names and classifications are specified in RFC 3416 and RFC 3411. A SetRequest is an attempt to change information, not a guarantee that the change will be allowed or succeed.
Does SNMP provide security?
Security is determined by the framework’s security model and access-control configuration; it is not accurate to assume that every SNMP version or setup protects traffic in the same way. RFC 3411 describes security and access-control subsystems: a security model specifies threats and security services, while access control determines whether an operation may access particular managed objects. Administrators should assess the capabilities and configuration of the specific SNMP implementation they use.
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Which standards define SNMP?
The foundational architecture and protocol-operations documents cited here are IETF RFC 3411 and RFC 3416, both published in December 2002. RFC Editor records identify RFC 3411 as Internet Standard STD 62 and list RFC 5343 and RFC 5590 as updates. Those publication details identify the cited standards; they do not, by themselves, describe the capabilities or security settings of a particular device or implementation.
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