SNMP configuration on older agents (5.2 and older)

[Eric_237]

I'm using Insight Manager 7. Some of our servers have older agents 5.2 or older.

I don't see an "snmp configuration" link once I choose "compaq management agents" on the system management home page for those older devices.

So how do you configure the community strings; trap destinations, etc. on the older agents? (I know I could upgrade the PSP on those devices, but for various reasons that is not an option right now).

There must be a way to do it, but it is not obvious. Does anyone know?

[David Claypool]

The SNMP service is provided by the operating system and provides tabs for configuration: Start --> Administration Tools --> Services --> SNMP Service. Agents 5.3 and later provided a facility for secure transactions (not previously available) and links to configure SNMP from the agents were provided as a convenience.

While it is common to skip a few versions and not update every time a new ProLiant Support Pack is released, I would strongly urge updating your PSP. There are numerous security exploits that are patched in more recent versions, not to mention new features like the above as well as bug fixes.

[Eric_237]

Thanks, I never saw those tabs before. Altough I knew the service was there.

Is there a list somewhere of the security issues/bugs with older agents/PSPs. I would need to convince people here that it is worth scheduling an offhours reboot on numerous servers in order to update the agents (as well as worth the risk) -- however slight -- of updating software/agents on these servers by going to PSP 6.4 or 7.0.

[Eric_237]

Oh, and one more question. Is it necessary to stop and re-start the snmp service after I make community string/trap destination changes (when I utilize the snmp services tab to make the changes on the older agents)?

[David Claypool · Accepted solution]

http://www.hp.com/servers/manage --> Software Security Customer Advisories (lower right hand corner)

A service restart should not be necessary.