GE ML1600 - Manual (Page 247)

MULTILINK ML1600 ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – INSTRUCTION MANUAL 16–1
Multilink ML1600
Ethernet Communications Switch
Chapter 16: SNMP
GE Consumer & Industrial
Multilin
SNMP
16.1 Overview
16.1.1 Description
SImple Network MGMNT Protocol (SNMP) enables MGMNT of the network. There are many
software packages which provide a graphical interface and a graphical view of the
network and its devices. These graphical interface and view would not be possible without
SNMP. SNMP is thus the building block for network MGMNT.
16.1.2 SNMP Concepts
SNMP provides the protocol to extract the necessary information from a networked device
and display the information. The information is defined and stored in a MGMNT
Information Base (MIB). MIB is the “database” of the network MGMNT information.
SNMP has evolved over the years (since 1988) using the RFC process. Several RFCs define
the SNMP standards. The most common standards for SNMP are SNMP v1 (the original
version of SNMP); SNMP v2 and finally SNMP v3.
SNMP is a poll based mechanism. SNMP manager polls the managed device for
information and display the information retrieved in text or graphical manner. Some
definitions related to SNMP are
•
Authentication - The process of ensuring message integrity and protection against
message replays. It includes both data integrity and data origin authentication.
• Authoritative SNMP engine - One of the SNMP copies involved in network
communication designated to be the allowed SNMP engine which protects against
message replay, delay, and redirection. The security keys used for authenticating and
encrypting SNMPv3 packets are generated as a function of the authoritative SNMP
engine's engine ID and user passwords. When an SNMP message expects a response
(for example, get exact, get next, set request), the receiver of these messages is