16-116 SNMP ConfigurationWhen configuring SNMP, go to these sections for information you are interested in:z SNMP Overviewz SNMP Configurationz Configuring SNMP Loggingz SNMP Trap Configurationz Displaying and Maintaining SNMPz SNMP Configuration Examplez SNMP Logging Configuration ExampleSNMP OverviewSimple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) offers a framework to monitor network devices throughTCP/IP protocol suite. It provides a set of basic operations in monitoring and maintaining the Internetand has the following characteristics:z Automatic network management: SNMP enables network administrators to search and modifyinformation, find and diagnose network problems, plan for network growth, and generate reportson network nodes.z SNMP shields the physical differences between various devices and thus realizes automaticmanagement of products from different manufacturers. Offering only the basic set of functions,SNMP makes the management tasks independent of both the physical features of the manageddevices and the underlying networking technology. Thus, SNMP achieves effective managementof devices from different manufacturers, especially in small, high-speed and low cost networkenvironments.SNMP MechanismAn SNMP enabled network comprises a Network Management Station (NMS) and an agent.z An NMS is a station that runs the SNMP client software. It offers a user friendly interface, making iteasier for network administrators to perform most network management tasks.z An agent is a program on the device. It receives and handles requests sent from the NMS. Onlyunder certain circumstances, such as interface state change, will the agent inform the NMS.An NMS manages an SNMP enabled network, whereas agents are the managed network device. Theyexchange management information through the SNMP protocol.SNMP provides the following four basic operations:z Get operation: The NMS gets the value of one or more objects of the agent through this operation.z Set operation: The NMS can reconfigure the value of one or more objects in the agent MIB(Management Information Base) by means of this operation.z Trap operation: The agent sends traps to the NMS through this operation.z Inform operation: The NMS sends traps to other NMSs through this operation.
