Essential SNMP

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) provides a "simple" set of operations that allows you to more easily monitor and manage network devices like routers, switches, servers, printers, and more. The information you can monitor with SNMP is wide-ranging—from standard items, like the amount of traffic flowing into an interface, to far more esoteric items, like the air temperature inside a router. In spite of its name, though, SNMP is not especially simple to learn.

O'Reilly has answered the call for help with a practical introduction that shows how to install, configure, and manage SNMP. Written for network and system administrators, the book introduces the basics of SNMP and then offers a technical background on how to use it effectively. Essential SNMP explores both commercial and open source packages, and elements like OIDs, MIBs, community strings, and traps are covered in depth. The book contains five new chapters and various updates throughout. Other new topics include:

• Expanded coverage of SNMPv1, SNMPv2, and SNMPv3
• Expanded coverage of SNMPc
• The concepts behind network management and change management
• RRDTool and Cricket
• The use of scripts for a variety of tasks
• How Java can be used to create SNMP applications
• Net-SNMP's Perl module

The bulk of the book is devoted to discussing, with real examples, how to use SNMP for system and network administration tasks. Administrators will come away with ideas for writing scripts to help them manage their networks, create managed objects, and extend the operation of SNMP agents.

Once demystified, SNMP is much more accessible. If you're looking for a way to more easily manage your network, look no further than Essential SNMP, 2nd Edition.

This practical guide for system and network administrators explains basics of the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). Focus is on practical issues, such as configuration of SNMP agents and network management stations, and configuring management software to react to traps sent by managed devices. This second edition includes numerous Perl scripts for automating management tasks. There is a new chapter on RRDtool and Cricket, and a new appendix on open source network management systems. The authors are software developers. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Mauro worked as a system administrator for several years before becoming a project engineer with Sun Microsystems Inc.

Kevin Schmidt is a Macromedia-certified ColdFusion developer, a member of Team Macromedia, and manager of the Des Moines ColdFusion User Group.