HP Web Jetadmin - Understanding SNMPv3 and HP Web Jetadmin

4
Jetadmin, the mode of communication
from that point forward includes
SNMPv3.
• SNMPv3 credentials are stored
uniquely in HP Web Jetadmin’s
Credentials Store. HP Web Jetadmin
begins each communication session by
retrieving these credentials and using
them to both authenticate and
communicate securely with the device.
• The Passphrase portion of SNMPv3
credentials are added to HP Web
Jetadmin using character strings, such
as: “oncewasasmallcat”. The
HP Embedded Web Server (EWS)
interface requires users to enter these
as 16 byte hexadecimal strings. These
two interfaces differ significantly (see “SNMPv3 passphrases vs. keys” below).
• All SNMPv3 credentials remain in the Credentials Store until they are:
• No longer valid and then removed
• Changed by an administrator via HP Web Jetadmin
• Cleared from the Credentials Store by the administrator
When HP Web Jetadmin no longer has a valid password in the Credential Store or when no valid
credential value exists, it prompts the administrator to add a valid credential through the interface
shown in Figure 3. Adding credentials via the Needed Credentials dialogue is simple. Once the
credential enables communication with the device, HP Web Jetadmin stores it and continues using it
as a seamless background operation. More details about the Credentials Store can be found in the
“Security and HP Web Jetadmin” white paper, which can be found at the Self Help and
Documentation tab at www.hp.com/go/wja
.
DISCOVERING SNMPv3 DEVICES
The HP Web Jetadmin instance that performs discovery on a network may not always be the SNMPv3
configuration agent. It is possible for devices to be initially configured via one HP Web Jetadmin
instance, while a new instance discovers devices. In any case, HP Web Jetadmin must have SNMPv3
discovery enabled or it will not discover devices configured in SNMPv3. To enable HP Web Jetadmin
to discover and manage devices using SNMPv3, simply navigate to Tools > Options > Device
Management > Device Discovery, enable Discover SNMPv3 devices, and choose Apply. The system is
now capable of discovering and managing
SNMPv3 devices.
Another aspect of discovering SNMPv3
devices is ensuring that the credential is
included in the discovery itself. HP Web
Jetadmin needs the SNMPv3 credential for
even basic management communication,
beginning with proper discovery. A few
options exist to bring about successful
SNMPv3 device discovery. First, the
discovery interface itself has a tool
dedicated to adding credentials to a
Figure 4—Adding SNMPv3 credentials to discovery
Figure 3—HP Web Jetadmin requires SNMPv3 credentials