6.0.1

Table Of Contents
To configure SNMP v3 traps, see “Configure SNMP v3 Targets,” on page 156.
If you run ESXCLI commands through vCLI, you must supply connection options that specify the target
host and login credentials. If you use ESXCLI commands directly on a host using the ESXi Shell, you can use
the commands as given without specifying connection options. For more information on connection options
see vSphere Command-Line Interface Concepts and Examples.
Prerequisites
Configure the ESXi SNMP agent by using the ESXCLI commands. See Getting Started with vSphere Command-
Line Interfaces for more information on how to use ESXCLI.
Procedure
1
Run the esxcli system snmp set command with the --targets option:
esxcli system snmp set --targets target_address@port/community
Here, target_address is the address of the target system, port is the port number to send the notifications
to, and community is the community name.
Each time you specify a target with this command, the settings you specify overwrite all previously
specified settings. To specify multiple targets, separate them with a comma.
For example, run the following command for configuring the targets 192.0.2.1@163/westnoc and
2001:db8::1@163/eastnoc:
esxcli system snmp set --targets 192.0.2.1@163/westnoc,2001:db8::1@163/eastnoc
2 (Optional) If the ESXi SNMP agent is not enabled, run the following command:
esxcli system snmp set --enable true
3 (Optional) Send a test trap to verify that the agent is configured correctly by running the esxcli system
snmp test command.
The agent sends a warmStart trap to the configured target.
Configure ESXi for SNMP v3
When you configure the ESXi SNMP agent for SNMP v3, the agent supports sending informs as well as
traps. SNMP v3 also provides stronger security than v1 or v2c, including key authentication and encryption.
An inform is a notification that the sender will resend up to 3 times or until the notification is acknowledged
by the receiver.
Procedure
1 Configure the SNMP Engine ID on page 154
Every SNMP v3 agent has an engine ID which serves as a unique identifier for the agent. The engine
ID is used with a hashing function to generate keys for authentication and encryption of SNMP v3
messages.
2 Configure SNMP Authentication and Privacy Protocols on page 154
SNMP v3 optionally supports authentication and privacy protocols.
3 Configure SNMP Users on page 155
You can configure up to 5 users who can access SNMP v3 information. User names must be no more
than 32 characters long.
4 Configure SNMP v3 Targets on page 156
Configure SNMP v3 targets to allow the ESXi SNMP agent to send SNMP v3 traps and informs.
Chapter 9 Monitoring Networked Devices with SNMP and vSphere
VMware, Inc. 153