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The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is a standard way for network-management software to monitor and control devices such as routers, hosts, and terminal servers. A management application exchanges requests and notifications with software on a device, using defined operations to access that device’s management information.
What does SNMP stand for?
SNMP stands for Simple Network Management Protocol. It is a protocol for carrying management information and operations between network-management entities. RFC 3416, Section 2, describes its purpose as “the transport of management information and operations.” The RFC was published by the RFC Editor in December 2002: RFC 3416.
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How does SNMP work?
An SNMP management system has manager applications, managed devices (also called managed nodes), and agent applications that provide access to management instrumentation on those devices. The manager sends protocol messages; the device’s agent handles requests and can send notifications. Messages carry protocol data units (PDUs), which indicate the operation to perform.
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- Agent: Runs on a managed node and responds to requests or originates notifications using the device’s management instrumentation.
- Managed element: The networked device whose management information is monitored or controlled.
- PDU: The unit in an SNMP message that identifies the operation being requested or reported.
This manager-and-agent architecture is described in RFC 3411.
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What are the MIB and SMI?
The Management Information Base (MIB) is a virtual store of managed objects that SNMP can access. It is the information model, not the SNMP protocol itself. The Structure of Management Information (SMI) defines the notation and mechanisms used to describe those objects; related objects are organized into MIB modules. In practical terms, a manager uses SNMP operations to access objects that the device exposes through its management instrumentation.
What can SNMP operations do?
SNMP is not read-only by definition. Its operation classes include reads, a write operation that attempts to change management information, responses, notifications, and internal functions. Examples specified in RFC 3416 include:
| Operation class | Examples | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Read | GetRequest, GetNextRequest, GetBulkRequest | Request management information from a managed device. |
| Write | SetRequest | Attempt to modify management information. |
| Response | Response | Return a reply to an operation. |
| Notification | Trapv2, InformRequest | Report an event without waiting for the manager to initiate a read. |
| Internal | Report | Support an internal protocol function. |
A Trapv2 notification is unconfirmed, while an InformRequest is confirmed. The distinction matters because an InformRequest expects confirmation, unlike an unconfirmed notification. The operation classes and examples are defined in RFC 3416.
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Security depends on the framework’s security model and configuration; it is not accurate to assume that every SNMP version or deployment protects traffic in the same way. RFC 3411 describes separate security and access-control subsystems: a security model specifies threats and services, while access control determines whether an operation may reach particular managed objects. These standards define the architecture, not the protection enabled in any specific device or installation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which standards define SNMP?
Two foundational documents are RFC 3411, which describes the management framework architecture, and RFC 3416, which specifies protocol operations for SNMP version 2. Both were published in December 2002. RFC 3411 is identified as Internet Standard STD 62; the RFC Editor record lists RFC 5343 and RFC 5590 as updates to it. These dates identify the standards documents, not the age or current support status of any particular product.
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