Using SNMP For Switch Security

Using SNMP

 

 

 

 

Using SNMP For Switch Security

Community Strings (SNMPv1 and SNMPv2)

The switch supports the SNMPv1 and SNMPv2c community strings security standard. When a commu- nity string is carried over an incoming SNMP request, that community string must match up with a user account name as listed in the community string database on the switch. Otherwise, the SNMP request will not be processed by the SNMP agent in the switch.

Configuring Community Strings

To use SNMPv1 and v2 community strings, each user account name must be mapped to an SNMP community string. Follow these steps:

1Create a user account on the switch and define its password. Enter the following CLI syntax to create the account “community_user1”.

-> user community_user1 password ******* no auth

Note. A community string inherits the security privileges of the user account that creates it.

A user account can be created locally on the switch using CLI commands. For detailed information on setting up user accounts, refer to the “Using Switch Security” chapter of this manual.

2Map the user account to a community string.

A community string works like a password so it is defined by the user. It can be any text string up to 32 characters in length. If spaces are part of the text, the string must be enclosed in quotation marks (“ ”). The following CLI command maps the username “community_user1” to the community string “comstring2”.

-> snmp community map comstring2 user community_user1 enable

3Verify that the community string mapping mode is enabled.

By default, the community strings database is enabled. (If community string mapping is not enabled, the community string configuration will not be checked by the switch.) If the community string mapping mode is disabled, use the following command to enable it.

-> snmp community map mode enable

Note. Optional. To verify that the community string is properly mapped to the username, enter the show snmp community map command. The display is similar to the one shown here:

->show

snmp community map

 

Community mode : enabled

 

status

community string

user name

--------

+--------------------------------

+--------------------------------

enabled comstring2

community_user1

This display also verifies that the community map mode is enabled.

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OmniSwitch 6600 Family Switch Management Guide March 2005

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omniswitch specifications

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