System information

Introduction to SNMP Management Console 333
done by SNMP Management Console and no specific OID knowledge is required to use
SNMP Management Console.
SNMP Management Station
The SNMP Management Station is a program designed to poll SNMP agents, collect
information, and display the collected information in an easy-to-view format. Because
each SNMP agent on a network can support a unique MIB, the SNMP management station
must load MIB information for all the agents it intends to access. Without this
information, the management station cannot make sense of proprietary MIBs and cannot
obtain information from their agents.
The management station polling process typically includes the following steps:
• The management station composes an SNMP request that includes one or more MIB
objects.
• The management station sends the request packet to an agent, located on a network
device.
• The agent receives the request, checks the values of the objects requested, composes a
reply packet, and sends it back to the management station.
• In the case of SNMP Management Console, the data is displayed in chart, form, list,
or table format.
Through the management station, SNMP agents can provide information to a network
administrator without the administrator physically attending to the device.
Almost any network device can be equipped with an SNMP agent. However, because the
addition of an SNMP agent typically will increase the cost of the device, many devices are
available without the SNMP agent installed. Typical examples of SNMP-aware devices
are: network bridges, routers, network cards, Ethernet and Token Ring hubs/switches,
network printers, UNIX hosts, NetWare servers, and Windows 2000/XP servers and
stations.
Introduction to SNMP Management Console
During the last decade, reliance on local and wide area networks has increased steadily. As
networks grow larger in size and more complex, so does the importance of effective
network management.
While many methods exist for monitoring network activity, one of the most important
emerging standards is SNMP. Unlike protocols designed to monitor network traffic,
SNMP is a standard for monitoring specific network devices, providing an efficient and
highly flexible way to collect and organize the information needed to optimize network
performance.