Transcript Standardization Status of SNMP
Trends in Management using the SNMP-based Internet Standard Management Framework
Jeff Case Founder and CTO SNMP Research, Inc.
+1 865 573 1434 [email protected]
Introduction
SNMP Research is pleased to be a Silver Patron of IM 2001: The IFIP/IEEE International Symposium on Integrated Network Management
Topics:
Market Drivers Trends in Management using the SNMP-based Internet Standard Management Framework Some things we are working on at SNMP Research
Significant Market Drivers
Growth and scale
Dearth of expert personnel
The need for seamlessness
The need for security
Standards and enabling technology
Driver du jour:
secure policy-based configuration of policy, e.g., secure policy-based configuration of security policy important to note multiple meanings of security and policy
Multiple Meanings of Policy
Policy-based distribution of configurations (targets selected according to a policy, e.g., every system which run Solaris and an Apache Web server)
Policy-based application of configuration rules within a system (targets selected according to roles), e.g., for each interface on a switch, apply configuration A on every backbone interface and configuration B on all other interfaces
Configuration of policy, e.g., QoS policy or Security policy
Trend #1: The SNMP-based Management Framework is Evolved and Evolving
Not the same old SNMP your mother used in 1988
Many positive advancements already standardized, implemented, and deployed
Some more are nearly done and ready for implementation and deployment:
SNMP-based configuration
Policy-based Management MIB Provisioning MIB for DIFFSERV
Some standardization work is just getting started:
SMIng Evolution of SNMP: SNMP EOS
SNMP: The Right Architecture, in part, for the Wrong Reason
Multiple competing efforts circa 1987 - early 1988 with duplication of effort slowing progress and discouraging product development and deployment
The time of GOSIP
Blue-ribbon panel develops direction statement
SNMP was to be the “short-term interim” standard
Protocol independent SMI-based MIB
MIB independent SMI-based protocol
SMI “glue”
Protocol Versions: Summary Picture
Simple-Based Management
SNMPv1 Party-based SNMPv2 Common SNMPv2
*
SNMPv2 SNMPv2c SNMPv2u SNMPv3 Management Information Definitions (MIB Documents) RFC 1155 Format RFC 1212/1215 Format RFC 1442-4 Format RFC 1902-4 Format RFC 2578-80 Format
SNMP: The Right Architecture, in part, for the Wrong Reason
This architecture which was designed to ease the shortening of the life of SNMP has actually allowed it to age gracefully and to evolve, thereby extending its useful life
People have been predicting the demise of SNMP for a decade and it just keeps going and growing while “replacements” appear and then disappear
Structure of Management Information (SMI) Evolution
1st Generation (1988-1991): RFC 1155
2nd Generation (1991-1993): RFC 1212 and 1215
3rd Generation (1993-present): SMIv2 RFCs 2578-2580
4th Generation: SMIng: a new work in progress
Management Information Base (MIB) Evolution
Definitions of management information
Standard or non-standard Protocol independent Instrumentation described in the [Internet-standard] Management Information Base (MIB) Has undergone constant revision (mostly expansion) since first defined in 1988 A wide variety of technologies covered by standard MIB definitions and others through vendor-specific extensions
Management Information Base (MIB) Evolution
Many of those are on the standards track at various levels of standardization maturity and market acceptance/demand
Most are adequate for monitoring
Many must be supplemented for configuration and control
More standardization work needed
Enterprise-specific extensions in the absence of standards
Protocol Evolution Generation 1 st 2 3 nd rd Protocol Operations RFC 1905 (1993- ) SNMP EOS (new work) Transport Mappings RFC 1157 (1988–1993) Security & Administration Community based RFC 1906 (1993- ) Party-based RFC 1445-47 (1993-1995) User-based RFC 2570-76 (1998- )
Trend #2: The SNMP-based Management Framework is Secure
SNMPv3 with security and administration adds:
Security, i.e., Authentication and Privacy
Authentication Privacy Administration
Authorization and view-based access control
Logical contexts Naming of entities, identities, and information People and policies Usernames and key management Notification destinations and proxy relationships Source-side notification suppression Remotely configurable via SNMP operations
Implications of Secure Management
Able to practice safe sets
Configuration / Control / Provisioning No longer mere monitoring
Now able to distribute management out to intelligent agents and mid-level managers
Scalability Keep local management traffic local Shorter feedback loops with lower latency
Standards-based applications for administration
Trend #3: The SNMP-based Management Framework Is Not Just For Networks
The SNMP-based Management Framework can be used as the basis for seamless Internet management:
traditional network management
system management application management service management proxy management of legacy devices
The only relatively complete, open, multi-vendor, multi-platform, interoperable, standards-based management framework for seamless management
Importance of Seamlessness
Sharing: Among cooperating management applications
Showing: User interfaces and reports
Crunching: Converting data to information and information to data
Telling: SNMP-based movement of management data
Knowing: SMI-based instrumentation
Importance of Seamlessness
No single application or set of applications can meet all requirements
Sharing is essential
Single naming scheme
Consistent data definitions Standard information semantics
Mapping functions do not work well
Every time you convert you lose
Example: event correlation for network, system, and application management with point solutions and proprietary database formats
Trend #4: The SNMP-based Management Framework is Sturdy
Originally “the short-term interim standard”
According to the pundits, has been on its last legs since 1988 to be eclipsed by a succession of replacements
SNMP-based management is still
growing
expanding scope evolving
While “replacements” come and go
What ever happened to?
Pre 1989 Proprietary, e.g. IBM Netview, DEC NMCC 1989 CMIP over TCP/IP (CMOT) 1990 DCE RPC – based management 1991 Open Software Foundation Distributed Management Environment (OSF DME) 1992 CMIP over LANs (CMOL)
What ever happened to?
1993 DMTF’s Distributed Management Interface (DMI) Management Information File (MIF) 1994 OMNIPoint 1995 CORBA 1996 Web-based device management, Web enabled management 1997 DMTF’s WBEM: HMMS, HMMP, HMOM, etc
What ever happened to?
1998 JMAPI over Java and DEN/LDAP 1999 JDMK over Java and CIM 2000 COPS/PIBs 2001 XML Beyond … more to come …
Conclusions:
The Internet-Standard Management Framework based on SNMP is
Evolved Secure
Not just for networks Sturdy But there is much more work to be done
Additional standards work Better applications Implementation Deployment
Conclusions:
SNMP-based management is far from perfect, but it continues to be the best game in town
The architecture and vision are fine
We need to execute to completion
SNMP Research: Who we are
Famous since 1988 for licensing source code to developers constructing agent and manager applications now in ubiquitous use
Market research: More end-users than OEMs (we did not pay much for this exclusive insight)
Now also providing tools to end-users in binary form
Supplying and supporting OEM developers continues to be an important part of our business
SNMP Research Products
Infrastructure components
Libraries Command-line utilities MIB compiler tools
SNMP Research Products (Continued)
Agent Products
EMANATE ® Extensible Agent System for open systems and embedded systems EMANATE/Lite monolithic agent for embedded systems EMANATE Adaptation Layer (EAL) and EMANATE Protocol Interface Components (EPIC) for multi-protocol management CIAgent for intelligent, distributed management of systems, applications, and services DR-Web agent for Web-based device management Specialty MIB implementations: e.g., RMON, Policy, MLM, DISMAN MIBs: script, schedule, event, etc
SNMP Research Products (Continued)
Management Stations and Applications
Asynchronous Request Library (ARL): Multilingual callback-based library BRASS: Extensible Manager Toolkit DR-Web Manager: Web-based management EnterPol: Tri-lingual Java-based management station
CIAgent Policy Pro: Policy-based system, application, and service management
Simple Policy Pro: Policy-based management of SNMP
Infrastructure: Database, iconic map, and polling, autodiscovery, and distribution engines SNMPv3 Security Pack for HP OpenView NNM
Moving Forward
At SNMP Research, we look forward to working with you and your colleagues to
Specify necessary improvements Implement in products Deploy in enterprises and service providers
Thanks to the entire IM 2001 team for this great conference