Learning about SNMP

Part I Chapter 1+2

• Protocols, standards and models. E.g. TCP/IP ip protocol, OSI standard.
• Outline about network management (goals, organization and functions)
• Basic (and simple) network analycing tools (ping, ifconfig, iptrace, whois)
• An excelent exercise, which doesn t just ask for written excamples
• Introduction to LAN and it s devices (bridge, switch, hub)
• cable standards
• transmission standards (Ethernet, FDDI, ATM)
• Gateways and their model in terms of OSI layer
• Even a comparison between wireless and wired transmission

Part II Chapter 3-

• Pointing out what the reason and point of view for the management is
• Explaining MDB (manager data base - information about each agent)
• explaining MIB (manager information base - information, which information can be requested from each node. E.g. some nodes have also wireless parameters, some have extended counters, some only very basic counters)
  

  		own idea
  	Adding equipment of a different manufactorer needs to extend to the MIB to maintain a complete network overview. Hence chosing a network management software, which MIB can be easy extended (is well documented) is important.

  
  

• Explanation of terms (using a abstract, but good example): object type (object identifier & descripton), definition, syntax, access and status. See RFC 1155 and RFC 1212
• ASN.1 (Abstract Syntax Notation One) explaining the syntax and giving ideas how it is used in the MIB
  

  		own idea
  	ASN.1 is a really abstract language and therefor could be used best to define the situation (e.g. like mathematicans do), the "realworld" software probably will use other programming language and only go back to ASN.1 to understand how the MIB needs to be implemented. In short I see the ASN.1 partly like the VHDL, which also allows to describe hardware not possible to synthesize with known tools. VHDL in electronics has it s reason, hence ASN.1 is also important to know about. Supplemental: The software really uses an early ASN.1 syntax of 1988. Although the compilers differ from wheter they need the excact path in each file, have only one file or take MODULE-IDENTITY as matter to order.

  
  

• Overview over OSI, hereby the function has priority. Hence it is hoped to give a handling to the user.

  		own idea
  	I wonder if one parameter could be regarded to security management and accounting management the same time. This could mean that data is twice in the database or an underlying model without redundancy is needed - maybe the SNMP again...

  
  

Chapter 4 Management

• an overview about the organisations, and documents related, as well as in terms of network layers
• Detailed look at some of the Entities, with examples how to use them to gain knowledge
  

  		own idea
  	E.g. there was a problem, with doublicate IP Address of Mr. O'Sullivan. One solution would be walk from room to room and test the computers, another would be have a network map ready in the Network management software. Do a traceroute to find last real router Starting at last router using SNMP learn which interface the address is going to (MIB: ipNetToMediaTable and interfaces) followe the interface in case of no local port to the next hub until a local port is found. Take the well documented network map to figure out the room number, the hub is in (alternativly use MIB: system.sysLocation Walk to the room, look at patch panel and complain at User using wrong ip address

  
  

Chapter 5 Communication and Functional Models

• Explaining about community, Access control
• Giving example how a company can organize its network to monitor and control it better, even outside accounting access is possible
• Explains the getrequest on protocol level (see also my snmp learning)
• Explains relation numbers, symbols and possebility of sniffing

REST part II

• There is an closer overview about the SNMPv2 (SMI extension, Notifications)
• SNMPv3 (security model)
• RMON
• ATM management
• broadband network management (mainly access technologies)

Part III

telecommunications management network