Manage an SNMP Device

SNMP devices are managed in the SilverBack Managed Services Platform by a combination of:

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is a connections network management Protocol, which uses a device/application manager model for communication between network devices.

In SNMP, the collection of information is distributed among various devices/applications on the network. A central device analyzes the data and interprets it. An SNMP trap is a message from an SNMP device/application indicating that there is a problem.

Performance Statistics Monitoring

SNMP device polling is enabled if you provide a valid SNMP Read community string and select the SNMP (ifOperStatus ) polling option when you discover an SNMP device. SilverBack then uses the SNMP MIB II variables ifAdminStatus and ifOperStatus to determine the state of the device’s interface(s).

Defined in RFC 1213 (MIB II) as the current operational state of an Interface on a TCP/IP network device. There are 3 possible states: UP, DOWN and TESTING. When an interface is in TESTING mode, no data packets can pass through.

Defined in RFC 1213 (MIB II) as the administratively desired state of an Interface on a TCP/IP network Device. There are 3 possible states: UP, DOWN and TESTING. When an Interface is in TESTING mode, no data packets can pass through.

The MIB is a database that contains information about an asset, including its Interfaces, transmission medium, and any vendor-specific information. The SNMP application collects the information and stores it in the MIB. When the SNMP application receives a request for information from the management station, the application queries its MIB.

The SilverBack Managed Services Platform can gather for you such network and system performance statistic as:

For an example of producing and viewing trended performance reports for SNMP devices see the topic, Produce Performance Graphs.

Fault Monitoring Via SNMP Traps

The SilverStreak monitoring the managed devices' parent Management Domain can receive SNMP traps. If your SNMP devices are configured to send their trap messages to SilverStreak you can configure the SilverBack managed services platform to generate alerts upon traps receipt, and perform troubleshooting and maintenance tasks as required.

For an example of how to generate alerts upon SilverStreak's receipt of traps see the topic, Generate Alerts on SNMP Traps.

Fault Monitoring Via Syslog

Many SNMP devices also support fault monitoring via syslog, which often is a more comprehensive solution than via traps. SilverBack includes default Monitoring Policy Templates (MPTs) that contain syslog Event Monitors to provide complete manageability for SNMP devices.

A Monitoring Policy Template is a sample Monitoring Policy - it cannot be applied to a target scope. It is used to create a standard set of monitoring rules that can be built once, and then used in many Monitoring Policies.

For an example of how to manage an SNMP device with syslog Event Monitors see the topic, Manage a Cisco Router.