Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!ucsd!ucbvax!NMS.HLS.COM!salzman
From: salzman@NMS.HLS.COM (Mike Salzman)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: SNMP monitors]
Message-ID: <9010270605.AA03263@nms.>
Date: 27 Oct 90 06:05:13 GMT
References: <9010252029.AA11656@snow-white.lanl.gov>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: Hughes Lan Systems, Mt View Ca
Lines: 46

Several messages have recently flamed SNMP, perhaps as a reaction
to or byproduct of the Marshall and Karl debate society.  The comments
are incongruous since both ICMP and SNMP and other techniques have
a role to play in the process of installing, monitoring, maintaining,
testing and diagnosing a network.

Although SNMP is a relatively recent development, and is a popular
protocol targeted at network management applications, its developers
never claimed that it should replace all other techniques and
applications.  It also does not address all network managment
issues.  The flavor of universal ompnipotence and the consequent
exclusion of all other methods, techniques and applications is 
a byproduct of simplistic jounalistic reporting that afflicts our
industry, and of marketing hype.

SNMP is intended to manage operational networks.  The fact that
a router between manager X and device Y has failed does not preclude
the manager station from using out-of-band (i.e. non ethernet) 
transmission channels to reach device Y.  The lack of robustness
is to a large extent an application design shortcoming, not an
attribute of the protocol.  

The layering of the protocol in its most popular incarnation (over
UDP) is also not an inherent aspect of the protocol, although it
is highly recommended.  Poor network design may have as much to do
with preventing the operation of SNMP 'links' to managed devices, as
does the depedence on IP.  

Clearly, however, it is necessary to use tools other than and in addition 
to SNMP to bring up the network.  These include Ping.  At a higher layer, it
may be necessary to use PING-LIKE techniques to bounce data from EIA ports
for example.  Here again SNMP is not directly applicable.  

The conclusions are:

	1. SNMP is a useful, interoperable protocol
	2. It is not the sole and universal protocol
	3. SNMP is not a replacement for well thought out, practical
	   management applications  -- it is an application tool
	4. Poor design of network facilities and fallback routes is
	   not an attribute of the protocol.
 

-------------------- salzman@hls.com ----------------------
Michael M. Salzman  Voice (415) 966-7479  Fax (415)960-3738	
Hughes Lan Systems  1225 Charleston Road   Mt View Ca 94043