4.4 SNMP Flashcards
Summarize the function of SNMP in network operations. (20 cards)
What is SNMP’s primary role?
To manage and monitor network devices.
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) facilitates the management and monitoring of network devices using a connection-less protocol that relies on UDP packets.
What message does an SNMP agent use to notify an NMS?
Trap
A Trap message is sent from an SNMP agent to indicate significant changes or events, such as an interface going down, using the UDP protocol.
List three new features introduced with SNMPv3.
- Encryption
- Authentication
- Message integrity
Encryption: Secures SNMP messages during transit.
Authentication: Verifies the identity of users and devices.
Message Integrity: Ensures data is not altered during transmission.
List three correct statements about SNMP functionality.
- MIBs contain variables managed by SNMP agents.
- SNMP is structured into managers and agents.
- SNMP employs Get, GetNext, and GetBulk messages to retrieve information.
SNMP is essential for network device management, using various message types to facilitate communication between managers and agents.
What are the two common versions of SNMP used today?
- SNMPv2c
- SNMPv3
SNMPv2c: Offers bulk data retrieval but lacks strong security.
SNMPv3: Adds encryption, authentication, and message integrity for better security.
True or False:
SNMPv3 encryption prevents unauthorized users from viewing data packets.
True
SNMPv3 uses encryption to secure the data in transit, ensuring that even if intercepted, the data cannot be read without the proper decryption keys.
What is the purpose of the Management Information Base (MIB) in SNMP?
It stores device variables.
MIB is a database that holds information about device configuration, status, and performance, allowing SNMP managers to access and manage network devices.
What is the purpose of the SNMP manager?
To manage and monitor devices through SNMP.
The SNMP manager communicates with SNMP agents installed on network devices, sending requests and receiving information, allowing network administrators to oversee and control device configurations and statuses.
What types of messages does an SNMP manager use to request information?
- SNMP Get
- SNMP GetNext
- SNMP GetBulk
SNMP Get – Requests specific data from an agent.
SNMP GetNext – Retrieves the next available data in a sequence.
SNMP GetBulk – Requests large amounts of data from an agent.
What does the acronym NMS stand for in network management?
Network Management Station
An NMS is a system that includes an SNMP manager, allowing it to communicate with SNMP agents installed on various network devices.
True or False:
SNMP Traps use fire-and-forget, while Informs require NMS acknowledgment for reliability.
True
Informs are more reliable than Traps because they require acknowledgment from the NMS, ensuring message receipt and processing.
What does an SNMP Set message do?
It modifies device variables.
An SNMP Set message allows changes to device settings, such as modifying interface statuses or device configurations.
How are MIB variables organized in the Management Information Base?
Using hierarchical object IDs (OIDs)
MIB variables are structured as a tree of object IDs (OIDs), each representing specific variables or objects managed by SNMP.
What is SNMPv1’s community string used for?
For authentication in clear-text.
SNMPv1 uses community strings as passwords for authentication, which are transmitted in clear text, posing a security risk.
What does the SNMPv1 community string “public” typically signify?
A default read-only community string.
The default “public” community string is often used to access device information in SNMPv1, but it poses a security risk because it is commonly known.
Fill in the blank:
A/an ______ ______ is a method for retrieving all values in a MIB subtree.
SNMP walk
An SNMP walk uses multiple GetNext requests to traverse through the MIB, retrieving data from all the objects in a specific MIB tree. It’s useful for extracting large datasets from network devices.
How does an ACL help secure SNMP?
By limiting SNMP messages to known servers.
An Access Control List (ACL) restricts SNMP message acceptance to trusted servers, preventing unauthorized access to SNMP-managed devices.
True or False:
The RO community in SNMP allows changes to device configurations.
False
The read-only (RO) community string allows only read access to SNMP-managed devices, restricting changes to the device configuration.
How does polling work alongside Traps in SNMP?
Polling requests data, while Traps notify of events.
Polling involves the SNMP manager sending Get requests for data, while Traps are sent automatically by devices to notify the manager of events.
How do SNMP Managers and SNMP Agents interact in a network?
Managers send requests, Agents respond or notify.
The SNMP Manager requests data and processes responses, while SNMP Agents manage device data and send Traps to notify the manager of changes.
