SNMP overview
As Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) networks have become increasingly diverse and complex
with many different types of devices and network nodes connected to them,
it has become more challenging to manage them. SNMP is a standard protocol
that was developed to provide an effective way to centralize the management
of TCP/IP networks. SNMP consists of three major components that communicate
with each other to manage and monitor TCP/IP networks:
- SNMP managers
- SNMP agents
- Management Information Bases (MIBs).
SNMP is defined by a series of Request for Comments (RFC) documents
that describe the specifications for network management including the protocol
itself, the definition of data structures, and associated concepts. The architecture
for standard TCP/IP network management protocols is defined by the following
RFC documents:
- RFC 1155 Structure and Identification of Management Information for TCP/IP-based internets
- RFC 1157 A Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
- RFC 1213 Management Information Base for Network Management of TCP/IP-based internets: MIB-II
- RFC 2233 The Interfaces Group MIB using SMIv2.