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1. Introduction

At the time of this writing, the SNMP Management Framework consists of five major components:

  • An overall architecture, described in STD 62, RFC 3411 [RFC3411].

  • Mechanisms for describing and naming objects and events for management purposes. The first version of this Structure of Management Information (SMI) is called SMIv1 and is described in STD 16, RFC 1155 [RFC1155], STD 16, RFC 1212 [RFC1212], and RFC 1215 [RFC1215]. The second version, called SMIv2, is described in STD 58, RFC 2578 [RFC2578], STD 58, RFC 2579 [RFC2579], and STD 58, RFC 2580 [RFC2580].

  • Message protocols for transferring management information. The first version of the SNMP message protocol is called SNMPv1 and is described in STD 15, RFC 1157 [RFC1157]. A second version of the SNMP message protocol, which is not an Internet standards track protocol, is called SNMPv2c and is described in RFC 1901 [RFC1901] and STD 62, RFC 3417 [RFC3417]. The third version of the message protocol is called SNMPv3 and is described in STD 62, RFC 3417 [RFC3417], RFC 3412 [RFC3412], and RFC 3414 [RFC3414].

  • Protocol operations for accessing management information. The first set of protocol operations and associated PDU formats is described in STD 15, RFC 1157 [RFC1157]. A second set of protocol operations and associated PDU formats is described in this document.

  • A set of fundamental applications described in STD 62, RFC 3413 [RFC3413], and the view-based access control mechanism described in STD 62, RFC 3415 [RFC3415].

A more detailed introduction to the SNMP Management Framework at the time of this writing can be found in RFC 3410 [RFC3410].

Managed objects are accessed via a virtual information store, termed the Management Information Base or MIB. Objects in the MIB are defined using the mechanisms defined in the SMI.

This document, Version 2 of the Protocol Operations for the Simple Network Management Protocol, defines the operations of the protocol with respect to the sending and receiving of the PDUs to be carried by the message protocol.

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