Understanding SNMP MIBs

The first complete, practical insider's guide to writing SNMP MIBs. With this book, network professionals can learn how to design, define, write and update useful SNMP Management Information Bases (MIBs) that support standards-based network management. The book introduces SNMP MIBs -- documents that contain definitions of management information which allow systems to be remotely monitored, configured and controlled. Next, it presents a model of an SNMP-based management network and defines the SNMP management framework. Readers will walk through the construction of MIBs, including name space organization, MIB naming, maintenance, object semantics and object style, and other topics. Advanced techniques are presented, including tables within tables, multi-table relationships and linked lists. Readers learn how to analyze standard MIBs. Front-end and back-end MIB compilers are discussed, including SMIC, NetView/6000 SunNet Manager and HP OpenView. The book also includes a guide to MIB developer's resources.

Features

• Practical do's and don'ts for writing MIBs.
• Understand existing MIBs.
• CD-ROM includes a MIB compiler for Solaris, HP-UX, IBM AIX, Sun OS, Windows NT and Windows 95, and a MIB-to-HTML converter for publishing MIBs on the World Wide Web or intranets.

Contents

• Foreword.
• Preface.
• 1. An Introduction to SNMP-based Management
• 2. SNMP Management Information
• 3. MIB Module Syntax
• 4. Applying the SNMP-based Management Model
• 5. Inside an SNMP-managed System
• 6. SNMP Operations
• 7. Object Modelling
• 8. Practical Considerations in Building and Maintaining MIBs
• 9. Advanced Techniques: Data Structures and Data Types
• 10. MIB Design Choices in Standard MIBs
• 11 MIB Compilers
• 12 Development of a MIB
• Appendix A. ASN.1 and BER.
• Appendix B. SNMP Protocol
• Appendix C. SMIC User's Guide
• Appendix D. Guide to MIB Resources
• Appendix E. References & Reading List
• Appendix F. Guide to the CD-ROM
• Contents of the CD-ROM
• Index