What is SNMP?

[Fred G. Claypool, Jr.]

We are considering a Data Center (whole-room) UPS which will provide power to our HP-UX servers as well as NT servers, etc.

This whole-room UPS runs software that uses SNMP to broadcast the "power fail" message which is to prompt our various servers to start shutting down.

The UPS itself will contain an SNMP card. The UPS manual (which we've downloaded it prior to purchase) tells us that we will have to disable the "snmpdm" process which is, in fact, running on our HP-UX servers right now.

Question #1: what is SNMP? I feel I should know this, but I've never had to deal directly with it.

Question #2: by disabling the "snmpdm" process [to support this new UPS], will I lose any nifty HP-UX functionality to which I've grown accustomed?

Question #3: as far as I can determine from reading various man pages (etc.), I'm assuming that SNMP exists to provide a central mechanism for monitoring remote resources. If that statement is more-or-less correct, what software is typically used (either on the HP's or on my local Windows 95 PC) to monitor everything?

Your guidance, as always, is quite appreciated. Thank You.

~Fred Claypool, Jr.
Hillerich & Bradsby Company
Louisville, Kentucky, USA

[A. Clay Stephenson]

SNMP

Simple Network Management Protocol

SNMP revolves around the concept of a MIB (management information block); a program that each manufacturer of network gear writes to inquire/change the status of a piece of equipment.

In the HP world both IT/O and NNM are geared towards responding to SNMP traps but other methods are also available.

If you want to know all the details of SNMP you should peruse what is known as the 'Simple Book' which is anything but.

Hope this gets you started, Clay

[eran maor]

Hi Fred

answering your que .

1. i saw that A. Clay Stephenson gave you the answer .

2. if you are not working with openview product like network node manager or vantage point oper. you will not need to work with the snmpd and you can disable it with not problem .

i thing that the UPS have it own snmp demon that is handling the broadcast message when there is a opwer fail .

3. i dont thing that there is a PC software that is using the SNMP but i dont know which software is install

there is CA - Unicenter that use the snmp and is install on winNT or Win2000 but i thing if you dont know it mean that it not install .

also if you disable the snmpd in the hp-ux it will not appect the products that are install it is telling you that the hp-ux will not send snmptrap about event that is happing in the hp-ux and the software is handing .

hope that i help

[Sachin Patel]

Hi
As Clay says it is Simple Netowrk Management Protocol
I didn't understand why you want to disable SNMPD in your system, and then it will not accept any request from your UPS.
As my view you don't want to configure your UPS that way because if UPS malfunction it will shutdown all systems in data center even if grid power is good.

Sachin.

[Vincenzo Restuccia · Accepted solution]

See http://docs.hp.com/cgi-bin/fsearch/framedisplay?top=/hpux/onlinedocs/J2740-90013/J2740-90013_top.html&con=/hpux/onlinedocs/J2740-90013/00/00/80-con.html&toc=/hpux/onlinedocs/J2740-90013/00/00/80-toc.html&searchterms=snmp&queryid=20010613-092150

[Fred G. Claypool, Jr.]

Thanks for your replies, everyone. I think I've got a better idea now what all this stuff means.

I actually installed the UPS manufacturer's client on our H50 sandbox a few minutes ago, and it didn't complain about "snmpdm" running at all (even though the "snmpdm" process is still active).

Thanks again.