Data sources for switches and fabrics

Depending on the type of switch that you want to monitor, you can use Fabric OS REST API, SMI agents, or SNMP agents to monitor switches and fabrics. SMI agents are also known as CIM agents, CIMOM (CIM Object Manager) agents, or SMI-S providers.

The vendors of switches can help you determine which agents to use.

Table 1. Agent types for switch and fabric functions
This table shows the current agent types that are supported for switch and fabric functions.
Function	Brocade	Cisco
Monitor performance	REST API or SMI agent	SNMP agent
Collect information about switches and switch ports	REST API or SMI agent	SNMP agent
Collect information about topology connectivity	REST API or SMI agent	SNMP agent
Collect information about zoning information and zone control	REST API or SMI agent	SNMP agent
Generate alerts	REST API or SMI agent	SNMP agent

Important: The embedded SMI agent is only available in the Professional Plus and Enterprise editions of Brocade Network Advisor (BNA). BNA is no longer available for purchase, although it will be supported by Broadcom until February 2022. For more information about end of support for BNA, see https://www.broadcom.com/support/fibre-channel-networking/eol.