HP 3PAR InForm OS 3.1.1 Concepts Guide

14 InForm OS SNMP Infrastructure
Overview
In addition to managing the system with the InForm Management Console and the InForm OS CLI,
the HP 3PAR InForm OS includes an SNMP agent that allows you to perform some basic
management functions via network management software running on a management station. These
SNMP management functions require that you have SNMP management software not provided
by HP.
CAUTION: The SNMP agent is not part of the evaluated Common Criteria storage system
configuration and should not be used when operating in Common Criteria mode. For more
information about Common Criteria, see the HP 3PAR InForm OS Common Criteria Administrator’s
Reference.
About SNMP
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is a standard management interface used by many
software frameworks to manage hardware devices. Use of SNMP requires two components, an
agent and a manager. The manager is the management process that sends requests to the agent.
The host that the manager runs on is called the management station.
SNMP Managers
There are four types of requests that an SNMP manager can send to an agent:
• SET. The SET request writes an object value in the agent. The SET request includes the object
ID and a new value for the object. The agent will change the value of the object and save it
in the persistent store. Not all objects are changeable. The MIB contains access information.
• GET. The GET request reads an object value in the agent. The GET request includes the object
ID to be retrieved. The agent returns the value of the object.
• GETNEXT. The GETNEXT request reads the object instance that is next in lexicographical order
to the object ID in the request. For example, if the object ID specified in the request is
.12925.0, the returned object ID should be .12925.1, if it exists.
• GETBULK. The GETBULK operation is an optimization of the GETNEXT operation, that allows
multiple instances of objects to be returned.
In addition, the manager can register with the agent to receive notifications (traps) for critical events
(alerts) and alert state changes. These traps include the same information as the alerts described
in the HP 3PAR InForm OS Messages and Operator’s Guide, but they are in standard SNMP
format. Before an SNMP manager can receive the traps generated by the SNMP agent, you must
register your manager with the agent. Refer to Chapter 14, Using SNMP, in the InForm OS CLI
Administrator’s Manual for instructions on registering an SNMP manager with the SNMP agent.
The HP 3PAR SNMP Agent
The HP 3PAR SNMP agent runs on the system and provides a management interface to enable
other software products to manage HP hardware using SNMP. The SNMP agent responds to GET,
SET, GETNEXT, and GETBULK SNMP requests and also generates notification messages (traps)
for critical events (alerts) and alert state changes. The SNMP agent converts all system alerts and
alert state changes into SNMPv2 traps and forwards them to all SNMP management stations that
have previously registered with the agent. These notifications contain detailed information describing
critical events and are generated for every alert and alert state change issued by the system. The
exact message formats are described in the HP 3PAR MIB. See the Using SNMP Chapter in the
HP 3PAR HP 3PAR InForm OS CLI Administrator's Manual for instructions on locating this file.
66 InForm OS SNMP Infrastructure