An Architecture for Describing Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) Management Frameworks
RFC 3411

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Network Working Group                                      D. Harrington
Request for Comments: 3411                            Enterasys Networks
STD: 62                                                       R. Presuhn
Obsoletes: 2571                                       BMC Software, Inc.
Category: Standards Track                                      B. Wijnen
                                                     Lucent Technologies
                                                           December 2002

                     An Architecture for Describing
    Simple Network Management Protocol (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 (2002).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   This document describes an architecture for describing Simple Network
   Management Protocol (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.  This document obsoletes RFC 2571.

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction ................................................    4
   1.1. Overview ..................................................    4
   1.2. SNMP ......................................................    5
   1.3. Goals of this Architecture ................................    6
   1.4. Security Requirements of this Architecture ................    6
   1.5. Design Decisions ..........................................    8
   2. Documentation Overview ......................................   10
   2.1. Document Roadmap ..........................................   11
   2.2. Applicability Statement ...................................   11

Harrington, et al.          Standards Track                     [Page 1]
RFC 3411      Architecture for SNMP Management Frameworks  December 2002

   2.3. Coexistence and Transition ................................   11
   2.4. Transport Mappings ........................................   12
   2.5. Message Processing ........................................   12
   2.6. Security ..................................................   12
   2.7. Access Control ............................................   13
   2.8. Protocol Operations .......................................   13
   2.9. Applications ..............................................   14
   2.10. Structure of Management Information ......................   15
   2.11. Textual Conventions ......................................   15
   2.12. Conformance Statements ...................................   15
   2.13. Management Information Base Modules ......................   15
   2.13.1. SNMP Instrumentation MIBs ..............................   15
   2.14. SNMP Framework Documents .................................   15
   3. Elements of the Architecture ................................   16
   3.1. The Naming of Entities ....................................   17
   3.1.1. SNMP engine .............................................   18
   3.1.1.1. snmpEngineID ..........................................   18
   3.1.1.2. Dispatcher ............................................   18
   3.1.1.3. Message Processing Subsystem ..........................   19
   3.1.1.3.1. Message Processing Model ............................   19
   3.1.1.4. Security Subsystem ....................................   20
   3.1.1.4.1. Security Model ......................................   20
   3.1.1.4.2. Security Protocol ...................................   20
   3.1.2. Access Control Subsystem ................................   21
   3.1.2.1. Access Control Model ..................................   21
   3.1.3. Applications ............................................   21
   3.1.3.1. SNMP Manager ..........................................   22
   3.1.3.2. SNMP Agent ............................................   23
   3.2. The Naming of Identities ..................................   25
   3.2.1. Principal ...............................................   25
   3.2.2. securityName ............................................   25
   3.2.3. Model-dependent security ID .............................   26
   3.3. The Naming of Management Information ......................   26
   3.3.1. An SNMP Context .........................................   28
   3.3.2. contextEngineID .........................................   28