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Simple Network Management Protocol
This document describes how to configure the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).
This document consists of these sections:
•
Understanding SNMP, page 1
•
Configuring SNMP, page 4
•
Displaying SNMP Status, page 10
Understanding SNMP
SNMP is an application-layer protocol that provides a message format for communication between
SNMP managers and agents. The SNMP manager can be part of a network management system (NMS)
such as CiscoWorks. The agent and management information base (MIB) reside on the WMIC. To
configure SNMP on the WMIC, you define the relationship between the manager and the agent.
The SNMP agent contains MIB variables whose values the SNMP manager can request or change. A
manager can get a value from an agent or store a value into the agent. The agent gathers data from the
MIB, the repository for information about device parameters and network data. The agent can also
respond to a manager’s requests to get or set data.
An agent can send unsolicited traps to the manager. Traps are messages alerting the SNMP manager to
a condition on the network. Traps can mean improper user authentication, restarts, link status (up or
down), MAC address tracking, closing of a TCP connection, loss of connection to a neighbor, or other
significant events.
This section includes these concepts:
•
SNMP Versions, page 2
•
SNMP Manager Functions, page 2
•
SNMP Agent Functions, page 3
•
SNMP Community Strings, page 3
•
Using SNMP to Access MIB Variables, page 3