Learning outcomes

1. Learning outcomes At the end of this session, you should be able to: • Explain the uses of network monitoring • Explain the operation of SNMP • Differentiate between SNMP and RMON • Explain the construction of MIBs • Construct a simple network monitoring strategy using SNMP commands and MIBs • Distinguish the advantages and disadvantages of network monitoring Internet Management & Security 06

2. Introduction Network monitoring and management is used to ensure that: • Resources are operating optimally • As many faults as possible are prevented • Faults are identified and fixed timely Internet Management & Security 06

3. Introduction SNMP in TCP/IP Remember this? Internet Management & Security 06

4. Introduction SNMP in TCP/IP and this? Internet Management & Security 06

5. Network Management Protocols • SNMP is an application layer protocol that facilitates the exchange of management information between network devices. • It is part of the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol suite. • SNMP enables network administrators to manage network performance, find and solve network problems, and plan for network growth. Internet Management & Security 06

6. Introduction SNMP-managed network consists of three key components: managed devices, agents, and network-management systems (NMSs). Internet Management & Security 06

7. Introduction More accurately…with flow Internet Management & Security 06

8. Resources & Elements NMS Network Management System (Station) NMA Network Management Agent NMP Network Management Protocol Resources: any device attached to the network. NMA NMA NMA NMS NMA NMA NMA NMA NMA NMA NMA NMA NMS Internet Management & Security 06

9. SNMP v1 SNMP – Basic Commands Managed devices are controlled using 4 basic commands and traversal operation: • read - command is used by an NMS to monitor managed devices. The NMS examines different variables that are maintained by managed devices. • write - command is used by an NMS to control managed devices. The NMS changes the values of variables stored within managed devices. • Trap - command is used by managed devices to asynchronously report events to the NMS. When certain types of events occur, a managed device sends a trap to the NMS. Internet Management & Security 06

10. SNMP v1 SNMP – Basic Commands Traversal operations are used by the NMS to determine which variables a managed device supports and to sequentially gather information in variable tables, such as a routing table. Internet Management & Security 06

11. SNMP v1 SNMP – Simple Network Management Protocol Basic operation: • Polls – NMS query NMAs in devices about specific status and NMAs respond to NMS • Traps – NMAs in devices inform NMS of changes in status (need to be configured) Polls and traps can occur simultaneously Internet Management & Security 06

12. Network Management Protocols • Network Management Protocols determine how the NMS and the NMAs will work and the information they provide and collect: • SNMP v1 • SNMP v2 • SNMP v3 (not really an NMP) • RMONv1 • RMONv2 Internet Management & Security 06

13. Structure of Management Information and MIBs • The Structure of Management Information (SMI) is the way in which an NMS organises collected information. • A Management Information Base (MIB) is the way in which an NMA organises the monitored information: • is a collection of information that is organized hierarchically. • MIBs are accessed using a network-management protocol such as SNMP.. Internet Management & Security 06

14. Structure of Management Information and MIBs • SMI defines the managed objects and MIB is a managed object. • Managed objects are comprised of one or more object instances, which are essentially variables. • Two types of managed objects exist: scalar and tabular: • Scalar objects define a single object instance. • Tabular objects define multiple related object instances that are grouped in MIB tables. Internet Management & Security 06

15. MIB-II Standard MIBs are defined by the MIB-II RFC (rfc 1213) and address general TCP/IP management information • Interface speeds • Maximum Transfer Unit (MTU) • Octets sent • Octets received (MIB was the original standard but was absorbed by MIB-II) Internet Management & Security 06

16. SMI object tree Internet Management & Security 06

17. Other standard MIBs Other standard MIBs have been defined by the standard groups for several purposes: • ATM MIB (RFC 2515) • Frame Relay DTE Interface type MIB (RFC 2115) • Mail Monitoring MIB (RFC 2249) • DNS Server MIB (RFC 1611) Network managers are also able to design ad hoc MIBs for their network devices. Internet Management & Security 06

18. SNMP main characteristics • Uses UDP as a transport protocol (port 162 for polls and 161 for traps) • Security by using community names: • Read-only • Read-write • Trap • SNMPv1 basic version • SNMPv2 enhances SNMPv1 • SNMPv3 adds security to SNMPv2 Internet Management & Security 06

19. SNMP commands Internet Management & Security 06

20. Remote Monitoring (RMON) • RMONv1 • Monitors that watch traffic on network segments in LANs or WANs • Also uses MIBs in order to organise information • Some vendors include the probing (polling) facility • RMONv2 • Enhances RMONv1 by providing network and application level statistical gathering (like passive network measurement) Internet Management & Security 06

21. Remote Monitoring (RMON) • An RMON Probe Can Send Statistical Information to an RMON Console Internet Management & Security 06

22. Advantages & Disadvantages Advantages • Network monitoring allows a centralised vision of all of the devices in the network • Allows flexibility and mobility to network managers Disadvantages • Introduces administration traffic into the network (roughly 5% of all traffic is control traffic) • Needs careful planning on traps and polls in order to maintain the balance between management and bandwidth utilisation. Internet Management & Security 06

23. Conclusions • Network monitoring facilitates the task of managing several devices at a time • The network monitoring centres need to be manned at all times for large networks and the network manager needs to be on call at all times for smaller networks • SNMP provides a set of simple commands that collect a wide range of information about devices through MIBs • RMON is similar to passive traffic measurement and allows minimal probing of devices Internet Management & Security 06

24. Resources • SNMPv1 - RFC 1157 • SNMPv2 - RFC 1905, 1906, 1907 • SNMPv3 - RFC 2571, 2573, 2574, 2575 • RMONv2 - RFC 2021 • RFCs can be found at: http://www.ietf.org/rfc.html • D. R. Mauro, Essential SNMP, O’Reilly. 2001 • CISCO Internetworking Technology Handbook : http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/cisintwk/ito_doc/ Internet Management & Security 06