The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and the related Remote Network Monitoring (RMON) standards make it possible for network administrators to control and monitor even the most complicated networks. In a textbook-style treatment, William Stallings's SNMP, SNMPv2, SNMPv3, and RMON 1 and 2 explains what's behind this family of popular networking standards. The book begins with some theory about what tasks network administrators need to do, such as monitoring performance, faults, and accounting, along with configuration and security control. The guide then describes SNMP--which was introduced in 1989--as a successful solution to the basic problems of network administration. (One of the strengths of SNMP is that it allows administrators to work with disparate networks running on TCP/IP.) The author details how an SNMP Management Information Base (MIB), which stores network information, is organized and also how the protocol works to collect and store network information.
The RMON standard actually uses SNMP with its own MIB format to collect statistics about a network. The author provides detailed descriptions of this information, along with RMON filters and alarms, which can be used to troubleshoot a network.
New and improved standards RMONv2, SNMPv2, and SNMPv3 comprise the remainder of this book. RMONv2 allows network administration of more kinds of networks and devices. SNMPv2 provides enhanced administration capabilities, while SNMPv3 adds the security and encryption that was lacking in earlier versions of the protocol.
This textbook is crammed with tables and statistics, and shows off the author's command of the relevant networking standards. Much more readable than the Request for Comments (RFC) documents that describe these standards, this title provides a comprehensive reference work on SNMP and RMON for the working Internet professional. --Richard Dragan
The relentless growth in the information processing needs of organizations has been accompanied by rapid development in computer and data networking technology to support those needs, and an explosion in the variety of equipment and networks offered by vendors. Gone are the days when an organization would rely on a single vendor and a relatively straightforward architecture to support its needs. The world is no longer divided into the pure mainframe-based, IBM-compatible centralized environment and the PC-based, single-LAN-type, distributed environment. Today's typical organization has a large and growing but amorphous architecture, with a variety of local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs), supported by bridges and routers, and a variety of distributed computing services and devices, including PCs, workstations, and servers. And, of course, despite over two decades of premature eulogies, the mainframe lives on in countless distributed and a few centralized configurations.
To manage these systems and networks, which continue to grow in scale and diversity, a rich set of automated network management tools and applications is needed. Fundamental to the operation of such tools and applications in a multivendor environment are standardized techniques for representing and exchanging information relating to network management.
In response to these needs, managers and users have turned overwhelmingly to one standard: SNMP and the related RMON specification. SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) was initially specified in the late 1980s and quickly became the standard means for multivendor network management. However, SNMP was too limited to meet all critical network management needs. Three enhancements have solidified the role of SNMP as the indispensable network management tool. First the RMON (Remote Network Monitoring) specification, which is built on SNMP, was released in 1991. RMON was revised in 1995, and an enhancement to RMON, known as RMON2, was issued in 1997. RMON defines algorithms and databases for managing remote LANs. Second, an enhanced version of SNMP, known as SNMPv2, was released in 1993 and revised in 1995. SNMPv2 provides more functionality and greater efficiency than in the original version of SNMP. Finally, SNMPv3 was issued in 1998. SNMPv3 defines an overall framework for present and future versions of SNMP and adds security features to SNMP. This book covers the latest versions of SNMPv1, SNMPv2, and RMON 1 and 2, as well as the new SNMPv3. All these versions are in active use.
Objective
To manage today's systems effectively and to plan intelligently for the future use of network management systems, the systems manager needs an understanding of the technology of network management and a thorough grasp of the details of the existing and evolving standards. This book's objective is to fill that need.
This book provides a comprehensive introduction to SNMP-based network and internetwork management. Part I of the book is a survey of network management technology and techniques, to enable the reader to place the various vendor offerings into the context of his or her requirements. Part II presents the original SNMP family of standards, which is still the most widely deployed version. Part III looks at the revised version of RMON1, plus RMON2, which extends RMON functionality. Part IV examines SNMPv2, which provides expanded functionality to SNMP. Part V of the book examines SNMPv3, which provides security features for use with SNMPv1 or SNMPv2. Throughout, practical issues related to the use of these standards, and products based on these standards, are examined.
Intended Audience
This book is intended for a broad range of readers interested in network management, including: Students and professionals in data processing and data communications: This book is intended as a basic tutorial and reference source for this exciting area. Network management designers and implementers: This book discusses critical design issues and explores approaches to meeting communication requirements. Network management system customers and system managers: This book is meant to help the reader understand what features and structures are needed in a network management facility, and it provides information about current and evolving standards to enable the reader to assess a specific vendor's offering.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Uri Blumenthal of IBM for providing insight and answering questions concerning SNMPv3.
I would also like to thank the following reviewers, who generously provided feedback on part or all of the second edition: K. K. Ramakrishnan of AT&T, Russell Dietz of Technically Elite Concepts, Ravi Prakash of FTP Software, Ole Jacobsen of Cisco, Cliff Baker of the Research Libraries Group, Sandra Durham of Cisco, and Ian Taylor of Cygnus. In addition, the two main authors of RMON2, Andy Bierman of Bierman Consulting and Robin Iddon of AXON Networks, provided detailed reviews of the RMON material.
In addition, I am grateful to the people who reviewed the original proposal for this book, and an early draft: Lyman Chapin of BBN, Radia Perlman of Novell, Glen Glater and Christopher Heigham of Midnight Networks, and Peter Schmidt of Midnight Networks.
0201485346P04062001
From the Back Cover
As the most effective set of automated tools for managing today's highly diverse, multivendor systems, SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), along with the RMON (Remote Network Monitoring) technology, is recognized as the de facto standard in the field of network management.
This book is the definitive guide to SNMP-based network and internetwork management for network administrators, managers, and designers. Concise, focusing on practical issues, and completely up to date, it covers SNMPv1, SNMPv2, and the most recent SNMPv3, as well as RMON1 and RMON2--all of which are currently deployed in today's LANs and WANs. With this book, you will be better equipped to determine your network management needs, gain insight into design issues, and obtain the necessary understanding to evaluate available SNMP-based products.
The author presents helpful background information, including an overview of network management requirements and an explanation of fundamentals such as network management architecture; performance, fault, and accounting monitoring; and configuration and security control.
You will also find detailed information on the specific protocols and operation of SNMPv1 and the enhancements made in SNMPv2 and SNMPv3, focusing in particular on this latest version's security features-message authentication code and encryption, USM (User-Based Security Model), and VACM (View-Based Access Control Model). The book provides an extensive discussion on standard MIBs (Management Information Bases), including MIB-II and the Ethernet Interface MIB. In addition, this third edition presents RMON1 and the RMON2 enhancements, looking at statistics collection, alarms, and filters. Throughout, the book highlights practical issues of network design, SNMP implementation, and daily operation.
To manage today's complex, multivendor network environments effectively and to plan intelligently for the future, you will need a thorough grasp of network management technology and standards. This comprehensive book will serve as your guide.
0201485346B04062001 About the Author
William Stallings is a consultant, lecturer, and author of over a dozen professional reference books and textbooks on data communications and computer networking. His clients have included major corporations and government agencies in the United States and Europe. Three times he has received the Best Computer Science Textbook of the Year award from the Text and Academic Authors Association. Dr. Stallings has designed and implemented both TCP/IP-based and OSI-based protocol suites on a variety of computers and operating systems. He has a Ph.D. in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His cyberspace address is http://www.shore.net/~ws.
0201485346AB04062001 Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The relentless growth in the information processing needs of organizations has been accompanied by rapid development in computer and data networking technology to support those needs, and an explosion in the variety of equipment and networks offered by vendors. Gone are the days when an organization would rely on a single vendor and a relatively straightforward architecture to support its needs. The world is no longer divided into the pure mainframe-based, IBM-compatible centralized environment and the PC-based, single-LAN-type, distributed environment. Today's typical organization has a large and growing but amorphous architecture, with a variety of local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs), supported by bridges and routers, and a variety of distributed computing services and devices, including PCs, workstations, and servers. And, of course, despite over two decades of premature eulogies, the mainframe lives on in countless distributed and a few centralized configurations.
To manage these systems and networks, which continue to grow in scale and diversity, a rich set of automated network management tools and applications is needed. Fundamental to the operation of such tools and applications in a multivendor environment are standardized techniques for representing and exchanging information relating to network management.
In response to these needs, managers and users have turned overwhelmingly to one standard: SNMP and the related RMON specification. SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) was initially specified in the late 1980s and quickly became the standard means for multivendor network management. However, SNMP was too limited to meet all critical network management needs. Three enhancements have solidified the role of SNMP as the indispensable network management tool. First the RMON (Remote Network Monitoring) specification, which is built on SNMP, was released in 1991. RMON was revised in 1995, and an enhancement to RMON, known as RMON2, was issued in 1997. RMON defines algorithms and databases for managing remote LANs. Second, an enhanced version of SNMP, known as SNMPv2, was released in 1993 and revised in 1995. SNMPv2 provides more functionality and greater efficiency than in the original version of SNMP. Finally, SNMPv3 was issued in 1998. SNMPv3 defines an overall framework for present and future versions of SNMP and adds security features to SNMP. This book covers the latest versions of SNMPv1, SNMPv2, and RMON 1 and 2, as well as the new SNMPv3. All these versions are in active use.
Objective
To manage today's systems effectively and to plan intelligently for the future use of network management systems, the systems manager needs an understanding of the technology of network management and a thorough grasp of the details of the existing and evolving standards. This book's objective is to fill that need.
This book provides a comprehensive introduction to SNMP-based network and internetwork management. Part I of the book is a survey of network management technology and techniques, to enable the reader to place the various vendor offerings into the context of his or her requirements. Part II presents the original SNMP family of standards, which is still the most widely deployed version. Part III looks at the revised version of RMON1, plus RMON2, which extends RMON functionality. Part IV examines SNMPv2, which provides expanded functionality to SNMP. Part V of the book examines SNMPv3, which provides security features for use with SNMPv1 or SNMPv2. Throughout, practical issues related to the use of these standards, and products based on these standards, are examined.
Intended Audience
This book is intended for a broad range of readers interested in network management, including:
- Students and professionals in data processing and data communications: This book is intended as a basic tutorial and reference source for this exciting area.
- Network management designers and implementers: This book discusses critical design issues and explores approaches to meeting communication requirements.
- Network management system customers and system managers: This book is meant to help the reader understand what features and structures are needed in a network management facility, and it provides information about current and evolving standards to enable the reader to assess a specific vendor's offering.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Uri Blumenthal of IBM for providing insight and answering questions concerning SNMPv3.
I would also like to thank the following reviewers, who generously provided feedback on part or all of the second edition: K. K. Ramakrishnan of AT&T, Russell Dietz of Technically Elite Concepts, Ravi Prakash of FTP Software, Ole Jacobsen of Cisco, Cliff Baker of the Research Libraries Group, Sandra Durham of Cisco, and Ian Taylor of Cygnus. In addition, the two main authors of RMON2, Andy Bierman of Bierman Consulting and Robin Iddon of AXON Networks, provided detailed reviews of the RMON material.
In addition, I am grateful to the people who reviewed the original proposal for this book, and an early draft: Lyman Chapin of BBN, Radia Perlman of Novell, Glen Glater and Christopher Heigham of Midnight Networks, and Peter Schmidt of Midnight Networks.
0201485346P04062001
