Overview

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is the Internet standard for monitoring and managing devices connected to the Internet or your own intranet. It defines a data set structure of information that each device may provide called a Management Information Database (MIB). It also makes provisions for individual vendor-based, customized MIBs. A vendor then can provide the standard set of parameters and also extend that set with "custom" information, such as "vendor-specific" information. These data are collected, kept, and reported by an agent that runs on the managed device. We call this agent the managed function.

A management function resides on a workstation or host, and interacts with the managed function or agent. The management function must have a copy of the MIB profile loaded for each managed function, plus any vendor-specific profile.

In this manner, a standard management function can interact with the standard MIB, while a vendor-specific management function may be used to glean more specific information. These custom MIBs are also registered with the Internet Advisory Board (IAB).

Thus, you find standards-based systems, such as HP's OpenView, and vendor-specific systems, such as Fore's ForeView and Cisco's CiscoView, that are compatible and work with OpenView.

Network Management Goals

The ultimate goal of network management is to improve system uptime. The CEO of an organization may see it as another overhead expense. The CIO should see it as a tool for maintaining a near 100 percent uptime.

The higher the system availability, the less equipment is...