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Catalyst2950 Desktop Switch Software Configuration Guide
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Chapter23 Configuring SNMP Understanding SNMP
You must configure the SNMP agent to use the SNMP version supported by the management station.
Because an agent can communicate with multiple managers, you can configure the software to support
communications with one management station using the SNMPv1 protocol, one using the SNMPv2C
protocol and another using SNMPv3.
SNMP Manager Functions
The SNMP manager uses information in the MIB to perform t he o pe rat ions des cr ibed in Table 23-2.
SNMP Agent Functions
The SNMP agent responds to SNMP manager requests as follows:
Get a MIB variableThe SNMP agent begins this function in response to a request from the NMS.
The agent retrieves the value of the requested MIB variable and responds to the NMS with that v alue.
Set a MIB variableThe SNMP agent begins this function in response to a message from the NMS.
The SNMP agent changes the value of the MIB variable to the value requ este d by the N MS.
The SNMP agent also sends unsolicited trap messages to notify an NMS that a significant event has
occurred on the agent. Examples of trap conditions include, but are not limited to, when a port or module
goes up or down, when spanning-tree topology changes occur, and when authentication failures occur.
Table23-2 SNMP Operations
Operation Description
get-request Retrieves a value from a specific variable.
get-next-request Retrieves a value from a variable within a table.1
1. With this operation, an SNMP manager does not need to know the exact variable name. A sequential search is performed to
find the needed variable from within a table.
get-bulk-request2
2. The get-bulk command only works with SNMPv2 or later.
Retrieves large blocks of data, such as multiple rows in a table, that would
otherwise require the transmission of many small blocks of data.
get-response Replies to a get-request, get-next-request, and set-request sent by a n NMS.
set-request Stores a value in a specific variable.
trap An unsolicited message sent by an SNMP agent to an SNMP manager when some
event has occurred.