Command Line Interface

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4
Command Usage
• If you do not enter an snmp-server host command, no notifications are sent.
In order to configure the switch to send SNMP notifications, you must enter at
least one snmp-server host command. In order to enable multiple hosts, you
must issue a separate snmp-server host command for each host.
• The snmp-server host command is used in conjunction with the
snmp-server enable traps command. Use the snmp-server enable traps
command to enable the sending of traps or informs and to specify which
SNMP notifications are sent globally. For a host to receive notifications, at
least one snmp-server enable traps command and the snmp-server host
command for that host must be enabled.
• Some notification types cannot be controlled with the snmp-server enable
traps command. For example, some notification types are always enabled.
• Notifications are issued by the switch as trap messages by default. The
recipient of a trap message does not send a response to the switch. Traps are
therefore not as reliable as inform messages, which include a request for
acknowledgement of receipt. Informs can be used to ensure that critical
information is received by the host. However, note that informs consume more
system resources because they must be kept in memory until a response is
received. Informs also add to network traffic. You should consider these
effects when deciding whether to issue notifications as traps or informs.
To send an inform to a SNMPv2c host, complete these steps:
1. Enable the SNMP agent (page 4-62).
2. Allow the switch to send SNMP traps; i.e., notifications (page 4-67).
3. Specify the target host that will receive inform messages with the
snmp-server host command as described in this section.
4. Create a view with the required notification messages (page 4-69).
5. Create a group that includes the required notify view (page 4-71).
To send an inform to a SNMPv3 host, complete these steps:
1. Enable the SNMP agent (page 4-62).
2. Allow the switch to send SNMP traps; i.e., notifications (page 4-67).
3. Specify the target host that will receive inform messages with the
snmp-server host command as described in this section.
4. Create a view with the required notification messages (page 4-69).
5. Create a group that includes the required notify view (page 4-71).
6. Specify a remote engine ID where the user resides (page 4-68).
7. Then configure a remote user (page 4-74).
• The switch can send SNMP Version 1, 2c or 3 notifications to a host IP
address, depending on the SNMP version that the management station
supports. If the snmp-server host command does not specify the SNMP
version, the default is to send SNMP version 1 notifications.
• If you specify an SNMP Version 3 host, then the community string is
interpreted as an SNMP user name. If you use the V3 “auth” or “priv” options,
the user name must first be defined with the snmp-server user command.
Otherwise, the authentication password and/or privacy password will not