SNMP Explained: Simple Network Management Protocol

This is a short course on Network Management and Monitoring Systems. The course gives an overview of Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). The details of the SNMP components such as the Structure of Management Information (SMI) and Management Information Base (MIB) are discussed in detail. The principles of operation of SNMP and SNMP UDP ports are also discussed.

The UDP port 161/162 is used by the application layer protocol known as SNMP, which is used to monitor networks, identify network issues, and occasionally even set up remote devices. The various components of SNMP. i) SNMP Manager - It is a network monitoring system that is centrally located. Another name for it is an NMS, or Network Management Station. An agent is a router that runs the SNMP server program; a manager is a host that runs the SNMP client application. ii) SNMP Agent - Installed on a controlled device, it is a software management module. While the agent keeps the data in the database up to date, the manager has access to the values kept there. For example, a manager can look at the pertinent variables that a router keeps, like the number of packets received and transferred, to determine whether or not the router is congested. The Management Information Base (MIB): It houses data about resources that require management. The arrangement of this data is hierarchical. It is made up of instances of objects, which are just variables. Every agent has a different MIB, which is a collection of all the items the manager is in charge of. The eight categories that comprise MIB are system, interface, address translation, IP, UDP, ICMP, and TCP. These groups reside in the MIB object.

There is a hands-on practical session on the installation and working of SNMP.

The course completion quiz appears at the end.