Using SNMP in Your Network

The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is an application layer protocol that facilitates the exchange of management information between network devices. The most widely used management protocol on Internet Protocol (IP) networks, it helps you monitor network performance, troubleshoot problems, and plan for network growth.

SNMP‘s simplicity lies in the fact that it uses a basic set of command messages to relay notifications of events and error conditions over a connectionless communication link.

Most network devices support the three versions of the protocol: SNMPv1, SNMPv2c, and SNMPv3. The latest version, SNMPv3, provides enhanced security and administrative features as described in this document.

SNMP is a simple, cost-effective tool for monitoring your network devices for conditions that warrant administrative attention. It is widely used because it is:

• Easily integrated into your existing LAN topology
• Based on an open standard, making it non-proprietary and well documented
• Flexible enough to communicate the specific conditions you need monitored in your network
• A common management platform supported by many network devices