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Networking Intermediate

What is SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)?

A protocol for monitoring and managing network devices like routers, switches, servers, and printers remotely.

SNMP collects information from network devices using a manager-agent model. Agents run on devices, exposing data (CPU usage, interface traffic, error counts) via OIDs (Object Identifiers) organized in MIBs (Management Information Bases).

Operations include GET (read value), SET (change value), and TRAP (unsolicited alert). SNMPv3 adds encryption and authentication. SNMP is widely used in network monitoring tools like Nagios, Zabbix, and PRTG.

Related Terms

Network Monitoring
The practice of continuously observing network infrastructure to detect failures, performance degradation, and security threats.
MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit)
The maximum size of a data packet that can be transmitted over a network without fragmentation.
VLAN (Virtual LAN)
A logical grouping of network devices that creates separate broadcast domains on the same physical network infrastructure.
DHCP
A protocol that automatically assigns IP addresses and network configuration to devices on a network.
Reverse Proxy
A server that sits between clients and backend servers, forwarding client requests and returning server responses on their behalf.
TCP vs UDP
Two transport layer protocols: TCP provides reliable, ordered delivery while UDP provides fast, connectionless delivery without guarantees.
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