SNMP protocol

SNMP protocol support and access

Firewall Threat Defense provides support for network monitoring using SNMP Versions 1, 2c, and 3, and supports the use of all three versions simultaneously. The SNMP agent runs on the Firewall Threat Defense interface. You can monitor network devices using management systems (NMSs) such as OpenView network management system. Firewall Threat Defense supports SNMP read-only access with a GET request. SNMP does not support write access or the SNMP SET request, so you cannot make changes with SNMP.

You can configure the Firewall Threat Defense to send traps, which are messages sent to the management station when certain events occur. These messages are called event notifications. You can also use the NMS to browse Management Information Bases (MIBs) on the security devices. MIBs are collections of definitions, and the Firewall Threat Defense maintains a database of values for each definition. To browse a MIB, issue a series of GET-NEXT or GET-BULK requests from the NMS to the MIB tree to get values.

The SNMP agent sends a notification to your management station when a specified event occurs, such as a network link going up or down. The notification includes an SNMP OID, which identifies the source device. The agent also replies when your management station requests information.