An Architecture for Describing SNMP Management Frameworks
RFC 2261

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Network Working Group                                      D. Harrington
Request for Comments: 2261                       Cabletron Systems, Inc.
Category: Standards Track                                     R. Presuhn
                                                      BMC Software, Inc.
                                                               B. Wijnen
                                               IBM T. J. Watson Research
                                                            January 1998

                     An Architecture for Describing
                       SNMP Management Frameworks

Status of this Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1997).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   This document describes an architecture for describing SNMP
   Management Frameworks.  The architecture is designed to be modular to
   allow the evolution of the SNMP protocol standards over time.  The
   major portions of the architecture are an SNMP engine containing a
   Message Processing Subsystem, a Security Subsystem and an Access
   Control Subsystem, and possibly multiple SNMP applications which
   provide specific functional processing of management data.

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction ................................................    3
   1.1. Overview ..................................................    3
   1.2. SNMP ......................................................    4
   1.3. Goals of this Architecture ................................    5
   1.4. Security Requirements of this Architecture ................    6
   1.5. Design Decisions ..........................................    7
   2. Documentation Overview ......................................    8
   2.1. Document Roadmap ..........................................   10
   2.2. Applicability Statement ...................................   10
   2.3. Coexistence and Transition ................................   10
   2.4. Transport Mappings ........................................   11

Harrington, et. al.         Standards Track                     [Page 1]
RFC 2261                  SNMPv3 Architecture               January 1998

   2.5. Message Processing ........................................   11
   2.6. Security ..................................................   11
   2.7. Access Control ............................................   11
   2.8. Protocol Operations .......................................   12
   2.9. Applications ..............................................   12
   2.10. Structure of Management Information ......................   12
   2.11. Textual Conventions ......................................   13
   2.12. Conformance Statements ...................................   13
   2.13. Management Information Base Modules ......................   13
   2.13.1. SNMP Instrumentation MIBs ..............................   13
   2.14. SNMP Framework Documents .................................   13
   3. Elements of the Architecture ................................   14
   3.1. The Naming of Entities ....................................   14
   3.1.1. SNMP engine .............................................   15
   3.1.1.1. snmpEngineID ..........................................   16
   3.1.1.2. Dispatcher ............................................   16
   3.1.1.3. Message Processing Subsystem ..........................   16
   3.1.1.3.1. Message Processing Model ............................   17
   3.1.1.4. Security Subsystem ....................................   17
   3.1.1.4.1. Security Model ......................................   17
   3.1.1.4.2. Security Protocol ...................................   18
   3.1.2. Access Control Subsystem ................................   18
   3.1.2.1. Access Control Model ..................................   18
   3.1.3. Applications ............................................   18
   3.1.3.1. SNMP Manager ..........................................   19
   3.1.3.2. SNMP Agent ............................................   20
   3.2. The Naming of Identities ..................................   21
   3.2.1. Principal ...............................................   21
   3.2.2. securityName ............................................   21
   3.2.3. Model-dependent security ID .............................   22
   3.3. The Naming of Management Information ......................   22
   3.3.1. An SNMP Context .........................................   23
   3.3.2. contextEngineID .........................................   24
   3.3.3. contextName .............................................   24