Illustrated TCP/IP by Matthew G. Naugle Wiley Computer Publishing, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN: 0471196568   Pub Date: 11/01/98

Chapter 342
SNMP Manager

An SNMP manager is a software application that queries the agents for information, or sets information on the client agent. The returned information is then stored in a database to be manipulated by other application software that is not defined by SNMP. The information gathered can be used to display graphs of how many bytes of information are transmitted out a port, how many errors have occurred, and so forth. SNMP simply sets or gathers information in a node.

Therefore, the server will be comprised of two things:

Management applications: Applications that can receive and process the information gathered by the SNMP manager. These applications are the ones that have some type of user interface to allow the network manager to manipulate the SNMP protocol; for example, set the SNMP node that it would like to talk to, send that node information, get information from that node, and so on.

Databases: The information that is stored in the database is from the configuration, performance, and audit data of the agents. There are multiple databases on the server: the MIB database, the Network Element database, and the Management Application databases (Topology database, History Log, Monitor Logs).

All of this runs on top of SNMP. It is not necessary for SNMP to operate, but it does allow for the human factor to fit in.

SNMP Manager