| BACK | HOME |
|
Tech Review #1 |
SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol
SNMP stands for: Simple Network Management Protocol. It consists of, a set of protocols for managing complex networks. A protocol defines a common set of rules and signals that computers on the network use to communicate.
SNMP arose out of sheer necessity in the early 1980's due to the overwhelming drive to link up diverse computers. It was seen at the time to be a temporary solution to a complex problem, but as things evolve, this solution turned out to be more permanent than originally expected.
SNMP works by exchanging network information through messages known as PDU's or "protocal data units". PDU's contain variables, titles, and values. SNMP uses different types of PDU's. These PDU's read data, set data and trap data. SNMP facilitates the function of determining whether a computer is "up" or "down" by using messages received from the PDU's.
Why is SNMP still used? One big reason is that it is simple and quick to install. It also does not consume a lot of resources from the network which is an advantage in this the age of overtaxed networks. Also, the major players in the hardware market all support SNMP. In addition, it is expandable, making it even more appealing.
What could make SNMP better? SNMP has traditionally had some security gaps, giving exposure to things like lack of data privacy, lacking authentication capabilities, minimal access control. The new version of SNMP (SNMPv2) attempts to close these exposures, but this version has failed because of several reasons, the biggest reason being that SNMPv1 was so entrenched in the market already. In addition, the standardization efforts were not successful. Instead, network managers have turned to a related technology called RMON that provides more detailed information about network usage.
SNMP is composed of the MIB ( Management Information Base ), the manager, and the agent. The MIB is the information that agents and managers can obtain. This information is structured like an inverted tree which goes from general to specific. Each node in the structure contains information in the form of variables. The manager is a program on the host computer network. It routinely monitors the agents for information. Some of the managers are: NetGuard for PC's and HP's OpenView for UNIX. An agent is installed on each note of the network. The agent collects network and terminal information as specified in the MIB.
Hyperlinks for Further Research:
A guide to SNMP and CMIP
http://www.inforamp.net/~kjvallil/t/snmp.html
Provides links to an introduction to network management.
http://www.cisco.com/univercd/data/doc/cintrnet/ito/55029.htm
Provides links to sections of a document describing V1.
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/bngusenet/comp/protocols/snmp/top.html
Provides links to the comp.protocols.snmp newsgroup.
http://www.anixter.com/techlib/buying/network/snmp1.htm
Provides a straightforward introduction to the concept and application of SNMP.
Page last updated on 05/30/2000.