18

SNMP

This chapter describes how to user Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) to manage and monitor the switch.

18.1 About SNMP

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is an application layer protocol used to manage and monitor TCP/IP-based devices. SNMP is used to exchange management information between the network management system (NMS) and a network element (NE). A manager station can manage and monitor the switch through the network via SNMP version one (SNMPv1), SNMP version 2c or SNMP version 3. The next figure illustrates an SNMP management operation. SNMP is only available if TCP/IP is configured.

Figure 57 SNMP Management Model

An SNMP managed network consists of two main components: agents and a manager.

An agent is a management software module that resides in a managed switch (the switch). An agent translates the local management information from the managed switch into a form compatible with SNMP. The manager is the console through which network administrators perform network management functions. It executes applications that control and monitor managed devices.

The managed devices contain object variables/managed objects that define each piece of information to be collected about a switch. Examples of variables include such as number of packets received, node port status etc. A Management Information Base (MIB) is a collection of managed objects. SNMP allows a manager and agents to communicate for the purpose of accessing these objects.

 

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