61202052L1-1 TSU 120 User Manual A-1Appendix A Understanding SNMPABOUT SNMPAs local area network (LAN) environments became standard-ized over the past ten years, multi-vendor equipment grewwith competition. It became necessary to manage the variousvendor equipment from a single control console. Thus, theSNMP emerged as the standard for managing commercialTCP/IP networks.The term SNMP broadly refers to the message protocols used toexchange information between the network and the manageddevices, as well as to the structure of network managementdatabases.Basic ComponentsSNMP has three basic components: Network Manager, Agent,and MIB.Network ManagerThis is a control program that collects, controls, and presentsdata pertinent to the operation of the network devices. Itresides on a network management station.AgentThis is a control program that responds to queries and com-mands from the network manager and returns requested infor-mation or invokes configuration changes initiated by themanager. It resides in each network device.
