User's Manual Part 1

User’s Guide Chapter 6 – SNMP Management
Chapter 6 – SNMP Management
Introduction
Another way to configure and monitor the Access Controller (P-560) via a TCP/IP network is SNMP
(Simple Network Management Protocol).
SNMP is an application layer protocol that facilitates the exchange of management information
between network devices. It is part of the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
protocol suite. SNMP enables network administrators to manage network performance, find and solve
network problems, and plan for network growth.
The SNMP agent and management information base (MIB) reside on the Access Controller. To
configure SNMP on the controller, you define the relationship between the Network Management
System (NMS) and the SNMP agent (our AC). The SNMP agent contains MIB and Gemtek Systems
private MIB variables whose values the SNMP manager can request or change. A NMS can get a
value from an agent or store a value into the agent. The agent gathers data from the MIB, the
repository for information about device parameters and network data. The agent can also respond to
a manager’s requests to get or set data.
In order to manage the device you have to provide your Network Management
System software with adequate MIB files. Please consult your management
software manuals on how to do that.
SNMP Versions
Access Controller supports the following versions of SNMP:
 SNMPv1—The Simple Network Management Protocol: A Full Internet Standard, defined in RFC
1157. (RFC 1157 replaces the earlier versions that were published as RFC 1067 and RFC 1098.)
Security is based on community strings.
 SNMPv2c—The community-string based Administrative Framework for SNMPv2. SNMPv2c (the
"C" stands for "community") is an Experimental Internet Protocol defined in RFC 1901, RFC 1905,
and RFC 1906. SNMPv2c is an update of the protocol operations and data types of SNMPv2p
(SNMPv2 Classic), and uses the community-based security model of SNMPv1.
 SNMPv3 – SNMP v3 is based on version 2 with added security features. It addresses security
requirements through encryption, authentication, and access control rules.
Both SNMPv1 and SNMPv2c use a community-based form of security. The community of managers
able to access the agent's MIB is defined by an IP address access control list and password.
The Access Controller implementation of SNMP supports all MIB II variables (as described in RFC
1213) and defines all traps using the guidelines described in RFC 1215.The traps described in this
RFC are:
coldStart
A coldStart trap signifies that the SNMP entity, acting in an agent role, is reinitializing itself
and that its configuration may have been altered.
WarmStart
A WarmStart trap signifies that the SNMP entity, acting in an agent role, is reinitializing itself
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