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Trends in Management using the SNMP-based Internet Standard Management Framework

Trends in Management using the SNMP-based Internet Standard Management Framework. Jeff Case Founder and CTO SNMP Research, Inc. +1 865 573 1434 case@snmp.com. Introduction.

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Trends in Management using the SNMP-based Internet Standard Management Framework

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  1. Trends in Managementusing the SNMP-based Internet Standard Management Framework Jeff Case Founder and CTO SNMP Research, Inc. +1 865 573 1434 case@snmp.com

  2. Introduction • SNMP Research is pleased to be a Silver Patron of IM 2001: The IFIP/IEEE International Symposium on Integrated Network Management • Topics: • Market Drivers • Trends in Management using the SNMP-based Internet Standard Management Framework • Some things we are working on at SNMP Research

  3. Significant Market Drivers • Growth and scale • Dearth of expert personnel • The need for seamlessness • The need for security • Standards and enabling technology • Driver du jour: • secure policy-based configuration of policy, e.g., secure policy-based configuration of security policy • important to note multiple meanings of security and policy

  4. Multiple Meanings of Policy • Policy-based distribution of configurations (targets selected according to a policy, e.g., every system which run Solaris and an Apache Web server) • Policy-based application of configuration rules within a system (targets selected according to roles), e.g., for each interface on a switch, apply configuration A on every backbone interface andconfiguration B on all other interfaces • Configuration of policy, e.g., QoS policy or Security policy

  5. Trend #1: The SNMP-based Management Framework is Evolved and Evolving • Not the same old SNMP your mother used in 1988 • Many positive advancements already standardized, implemented, and deployed • Some more are nearly done and ready for implementation and deployment: • SNMP-based configuration • Policy-based Management MIB • Provisioning MIB for DIFFSERV • Some standardization work is just getting started: • SMIng • Evolution of SNMP: SNMP EOS

  6. SNMP: The Right Architecture, in part, for the Wrong Reason • Multiple competing efforts circa 1987 - early 1988 with duplication of effort slowing progress and discouraging product development and deployment • The time of GOSIP • Blue-ribbon panel develops direction statement • SNMP was to be the “short-term interim” standard • Protocol independent SMI-based MIB • MIB independent SMI-based protocol • SMI “glue”

  7. SNMPv1 Management Information Definitions (MIB Documents) RFC 2578-80 Format RFC 1155 Format RFC 1212/1215 Format RFC 1442-4 Format RFC 1902-4 Format Protocol Versions:Summary Picture Simple-Based Management SNMPv3 Party-based SNMPv2 SNMPv2* Common SNMPv2 SNMPv2c SNMPv2u

  8. SNMP: The Right Architecture, in part, for the Wrong Reason • This architecture which was designed to ease the shortening of the life of SNMP has actually allowed it to age gracefully and to evolve, thereby extending its useful life • People have been predicting the demise of SNMP for a decade and it just keeps going and growing while “replacements” appear and then disappear

  9. Structure of Management Information (SMI) Evolution • 1st Generation (1988-1991): RFC 1155 • 2nd Generation (1991-1993): RFC 1212 and 1215 • 3rd Generation (1993-present): SMIv2 RFCs 2578-2580 • 4th Generation: SMIng: a new work in progress

  10. Management Information Base (MIB) Evolution • Definitions of management information • Standard or non-standard • Protocol independent • Instrumentation described in the [Internet-standard] Management Information Base (MIB) • Has undergone constant revision (mostly expansion) since first defined in 1988 • A wide variety of technologies covered by standard MIB definitions and others through vendor-specific extensions

  11. Management Information Base(MIB) Evolution • Many of those are on the standards track at various levels of standardization maturity and market acceptance/demand • Most are adequate for monitoring • Many must be supplemented for configuration and control • More standardization work needed • Enterprise-specific extensions in the absence of standards

  12. Protocol Evolution

  13. Trend #2: The SNMP-based Management Framework is Secure • SNMPv3 with security and administration adds: • Security, i.e., Authentication and Privacy • Authentication • Privacy • Administration • Authorization and view-based access control • Logical contexts • Naming of entities, identities, and information • People and policies • Usernames and key management • Notification destinations and proxy relationships • Source-side notification suppression • Remotely configurable via SNMP operations

  14. Implications of Secure Management • Able to practice safe sets • Configuration / Control / Provisioning • No longer mere monitoring • Now able to distribute management out to intelligent agents and mid-level managers • Scalability • Keep local management traffic local • Shorter feedback loops with lower latency • Standards-based applications for administration

  15. Trend #3: The SNMP-based Management Framework Is Not Just For Networks • The SNMP-based Management Framework can be used as the basis for seamless Internet management: • traditional network management • system management • application management • service management • proxy management of legacy devices • The only relatively complete, open, multi-vendor, multi-platform, interoperable, standards-based management framework for seamless management

  16. Importance of Seamlessness • Sharing: Among cooperating management applications • Showing: User interfaces and reports • Crunching: Converting data to information and information to data • Telling: SNMP-based movement of management data • Knowing: SMI-based instrumentation

  17. Importance of Seamlessness • No single application or set of applications can meet all requirements • Sharing is essential • Single naming scheme • Consistent data definitions • Standard information semantics • Mapping functions do not work well • Every time you convert you lose • Example: event correlation for network, system, and application management with point solutions and proprietary database formats

  18. Trend #4: The SNMP-based Management Framework is Sturdy • Originally “the short-term interim standard” • According to the pundits, has been on its last legs since 1988 to be eclipsed by a succession of replacements • SNMP-based management is still • growing • expanding scope • evolving • While “replacements” come and go

  19. What ever happened to?

  20. What ever happened to?

  21. What ever happened to?

  22. Conclusions: • The Internet-Standard Management Framework based on SNMP is • Evolved • Secure • Not just for networks • Sturdy • But there is much more work to be done • Additional standards work • Better applications • Implementation • Deployment

  23. Conclusions: • SNMP-based management is far from perfect, but it continues to be the best game in town • The architecture and vision are fine • We need to execute to completion

  24. SNMP Research: Who we are • Famous since 1988 for licensing source code to developers constructing agent and manager applications now in ubiquitous use • Market research: More end-users than OEMs(we did not pay much for this exclusive insight) • Now also providing tools to end-users in binary form • Supplying and supporting OEM developers continues to be an important part of our business

  25. SNMP Research Products • Infrastructure components • Libraries • Command-line utilities • MIB compiler tools

  26. SNMP Research Products (Continued) • Agent Products • EMANATE® Extensible Agent System for open systems and embedded systems • EMANATE/Lite monolithic agent for embedded systems • EMANATE Adaptation Layer (EAL) and EMANATE Protocol Interface Components (EPIC) for multi-protocol management • CIAgent for intelligent, distributed management of systems, applications, and services • DR-Web agent for Web-based device management • Specialty MIB implementations: e.g., RMON, Policy, MLM, DISMAN MIBs: script, schedule, event, etc

  27. SNMP Research Products (Continued) • Management Stations and Applications • Asynchronous Request Library (ARL):Multilingual callback-based library • BRASS: Extensible Manager Toolkit • DR-Web Manager: Web-based management • EnterPol: Tri-lingual Java-based management station • CIAgent Policy Pro: Policy-based system, application, and service management • Simple Policy Pro: Policy-based management of SNMP • Infrastructure: Database, iconic map, and polling, autodiscovery, and distribution engines • SNMPv3 Security Pack for HP OpenView NNM

  28. Moving Forward • At SNMP Research, we look forward to working with you and your colleagues to • Specify necessary improvements • Implement in products • Deploy in enterprises and service providers • Thanks to the entire IM 2001 team for this great conference

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