SNMP and RMON and CMIP

SNMP and CMIP

        Model and Protocol
                Commands, Agents, the Structure of Managed Information
        V1 and V2
        MIBs
        RMON I and II

SNMP Components

        Protocol
        Commands
        Agents
        Management Information Base (MIB)
        Network Management System (NMS)
        Display
        Anaylsis
        Statistics

SNMP Concise History

        IETF Processes
        Significant Dates:  87-88, 90, 94

Biblical and Interpretive Texts

        Key RFC's
        1157 SNMP
        1213 - MIB II
        1441-1452 SNMP v2 and migration
        1271  Remote Lan MIB   1243  Appletalk MIB      1285  FDDI MIB
1317 RS232  MIB
        1418  SNMP over OSI MIB   1304  SMDS MIB    1407  DS3 MIB     1566

Mail Mon MIB

Key Interpretations

The Simple Book: An Introduction to Management of TCP/IP Based Internets (Rose, 1990)

IBM Network Management Strategy (IBM Systems Journal 1992)

SNMP v1 commands

        Get Request - requests information from a network device
        Get Response - a network device responds to a request with the
information requested
        Get-Next-Request  - Get the next data value in a table specified by
the previous Get-request
        Set-Request   - set a parameter on a network device
        Trap - A network device will send out a message when an event occurs

Agents

        Managed nodes
        Trap
        Polling
        Trap-directed polling
        Proxy agents
        Reframing management data if foreign device does SNMP
        Application gateway to dissimilar management protocols
        Caching of management data

Structure of Managed Information (SMI)

        Naming tree for object identifiers
        ASN.1 for self-defining structures
        Creates MIBS
        Allows additions to managed objects down and to the right

Naming tree

ccitt(0) iso(1) joint-iso-ccitt(2)

standard (0) registration-authority(1) member-body(2) identified-org (3)

         internet subtrees are directory   mgmt   experimental   private
         .iso.org.dod.internet.mgmt.mib.

MIB Syntax

Abstact Syntax Notation (ASN.1)

Examples

Name: system.sysDescr.0
OCTET STRING- (ascii): GS Software (GS7-K), Version 9.17(10), RELEASE SOFTWARE.Patchlevel = 9.1(11.9).Copyright (c) 198 6-1994 by cisco Systems, Inc..Compiled Thu 30-Ju n-94 08:55 by pitoscia

Name: system.sysObjectID.0 OBJECT IDENTIFIER: .iso.org.dod.internet.private.enterprises.9.1.1 Name: system.sysUpTime.0
Timeticks: (192111881) 22 days, 5:38:38

MIB I and II

        system -  the managed node itself    (3 to 7)
        interfaces - network attachments     (22 to 23)
        at -  Ip address translation    (3 to 0)   moved to protocols
        ip  -  the Internet Protocol  (33 to 38)
        icmp - the Internet Control Protocol   (26)
MIB I and II
        tcp  -  the Trnasmission Control Protocol (17 to 19)
        udp -  the User Datagram Protocol (4 to 7 and a new table)
        egp  -  the Exterior Gateway Protocol (6 to 18 and expanded table)
        transmission - objects for specific types of interfaces (new)
        snmp  -  network management (new, with 30 items)

Major System Objects

        sysDescr  description of the device
        sysUptime  how long ago the agent started
        sysLocation   device's physical location
        sysServices   services identified by layers
                physical
                datalink
                internet
                end-end-end
                application

Major IP Objects

        ipDefaultTTL   default TTL for IP packets
        ipForwDatagrams   datagrams forwarded
        ipOutRequests   datagrams from above
        ipInDiscards   datagrams discarded due to resource limitations
        ipAdEntNetMask  subnet-mask for IP address
        ipRoute...

Major TCP Objects

        tcpActiveOpens   number of active opens
        tcpAttemptFails   number of failed connection attempts
        tcpInSegs       number of segments received
        tcpRetransSegs   number of segments retransmitted
        tcpInErrs     number of segments discarded due to format error

Sample MIB entries

mastiff[kerry]34% snmpwalk cns-gw community ip.ipRoutingTable.ipRouteEntry.ipRouteNextHop

        Name: ip.ipRoutingTable.ipRouteEntry.ipRouteNextHop.0.0.0.0
IpAddress:      128.138.138.1
        Name: ip.ipRoutingTable.ipRouteEntry.ipRouteNextHop.128.116.0.0
IpAddress:      128.138.1.9
        Name: ip.ipRoutingTable.ipRouteEntry.ipRouteNextHop.128.138.0.0
IpAddress:      0.0.0.0

Sample MIB entries

        mastiff[kerry]42% snmpwalk cns-gw community
        interfaces.ifTable.ifEntry.ifOperStatus
        Name: interfaces.ifTable.ifEntry.ifOperStatus.1
        INTEGER: up(1)
        Name: interfaces.ifTable.ifEntry.ifOperStatus.2
        INTEGER: up(1)
        Name: interfaces.ifTable.ifEntry.ifOperStatus.6
        INTEGER: down(2)
        Name: interfaces.ifTable.ifEntry.ifOperStatus.7
        INTEGER: down(2)

Sample MIB entries

mastiff[kerry]40% snmpwalk cns-gw community interfaces.ifTable.ifEntry.ifInOctets

        Name: interfaces.ifTable.ifEntry.ifInOctets.1
        Counter: 1287392613
        Name: interfaces.ifTable.ifEntry.ifInOctets.2
        Counter: 1615646393

Sample MIB entries

        Name: icmp.icmpInDestUnreachs.0
        Counter: 483
        Name: icmp.icmpInErrors.0
        Counter: 0
        Name: icmp.icmpInTimeExcds.0
        Counter: 12
        Name: icmp.icmpInRedirects.0
        Counter: 0
        Name: icmp.icmpInEchos.0
        Counter: 90556
        Name: tcp.tcpActiveOpens.0
        Counter: 5
        Name: tcp.tcpPassiveOpens.0
        Counter: 45

SNMP strengths and weaknesses

        + simplicity
        + ubiquity
        + extensibility
        -  security
        - efficiency
        - analytic tools

SNMP v2

        Security
        encryption/decryption
        authentication
        access control
        Set enhancements
        locking  and row level access
        new data types (e.g. 64-bit counter)
        error reporting on SET
        GETBULK
        Multiple agents on a single platform
        Hierarchical network management
        Inform command
        data transfer between managers
        Macros for machine-readable MIB annotation
        Multiprotocol transport support, including IPX, Appletalk, CLNP

Enhancements to v1

        security
                digest authentication protocol
                symmetric privacy protocol
        SMI extentions
        MIB-II extensions
        semantics as well as syntax - textual conventions to extend
        more operational pdus
                getbulkrequest
                informrequest
        conformance statements and migration strategy
        more transport options

Architectural framework

        admin framework - parties, context and security
        information frame - how can info be structured
        operational frame - managment, transport, migration
        conformance - requirements and interoperability

The snmpv2 entity

        a process (box, domain) that performs netman ops
        works with parties
        has a local database and contexts
        may be
                agent
                manager
                proxy (agent to snmp, manager to alien)

What's a party?

        id,
        transport mode
        address (host/port)
        auth
                v2md5 or noauth
        other auth styles

What's a context?

        the objects that are known or can be accessed by an entity
        local  info or remote through use of a proxy
        keeps info about
                the db identity
                the proxy id
                mib view

What's an acl

        source party/dest party/context id ===> man ops allowed
        man ops are privileges added as powers of 2
                get =1  getnext = 2 response = 4 set = 8
                getbulk = 32 inform=64 snmpv2trap = 128

v2 security

        data integrity
        origin authentication
                both done with digest authentication protocol
                based on clocks (synching), keys and digest
        confidentiality
                symmetric privacy protocol
                based on keys and DES

SMI enhancements

        module id semantics
        object types semantics
        notification definitions

MIB for SNMPv2

        snmpmodules tree
                snmpMIB (1)
                        objects
                        conformance
                snmpM2M (2)
                partyMIB (3)
        snmpobjects
                snmpstats                       object resources
                traps                   v1
        snmpcompliance
                level of conformance to MIB and protocol specs

New pdu's

        getbulk
        inform request

Man2Man communication

        alarms and events
        intermanager communications commands
        informrequest
        set polling frequencies

RMON

Next generation of network monitoring, with comprehensive fault diagnosis, planning, interoperability and performance tuning features.

        Additional packet error counters
        More flexible historical trend graphing and statistical analysis
        Ethernet level traffic matrix
        More comprehensive alarms and sniffer-type filters
        Still some ambiguity in interpretations
        First net MIB versus other device MIB
        First configurable MIB

RMON vs Network Analyzers

        Net Analyzers -
                dispatched             - no standard set of measurements
                advanced tools      - net-specific components
                high-price tag       - after the fact  monitoring
        RMON probes and stations
                more basic tools    - remote
                low-cost                 - technology independent
                historical data

RMON Characteristics

        Net or host specific data
        Traffic and error statistics
                by  net      -by host      - by connection
        Packet capture
        filters
        packet decoding at management station
        Dedicated probes or incorporated into hubs and routers
        Processor intensive; can be disk intensive

RMON References

        RMON - RFC 1271
        RMON Token Ring Extensions - RFC 1513
        Connexions - January 1994

MIBS for a Typical Token Ring Probe

        MIB II - interface variables, system variables, protocol stack counts
        Private MIB - Device Configuration, Proprietary Measurements, Trap
Configuration
        RMON - host table, matrix table, alarms, events, filters, packet
capture, etc.
        TR- MON - MAC Statistics, Data Packet Statistics, History

Statistics, Rind Station Order, Ring State and Other Paramters

RMON MIB Groups

        Statistics - interface statistics
                packets                   - octets                   - errors
                 Ether area  (collisions, runts, jabbers,  etc.)
                cumulative  counts
        History - history of statistics per interface
                pkts/sec         - octets/sec          - errors/sec    -etc
                sampled values
                configurable by management station
                default values are 5 sec and 30 sec
        Alarm - thresholds which generate events
                any variable  (delta value or absolute value)
                statistical counter values, packet matches, changes
                trip an event
                configurable by management station

RMON MIB Groups (Continued)

        Hosts - host statistics for all discovered hosts
                pkts/host       - octets/host     - errors/host
                in and out
        HostTopN - host group ordered by particular stat and interval
                top talkers - top Broadcasters  top Error Generator
                configurable by management station
                sorts the hosts table on request; default is none
        Matrix - connection statistics
                pkts/connection  - octets/connection - errors/connection
                built on hosts table

RMON MIB Groups (Continued)

        Filter - packet match for filter definition
                Data Match  - Status Match   - Triggers   -Match Count
                Configurable by management station
        Packet Capture - capture of filtered packets
                Works with filter group
                Buffer  Size       - Sliced Data
                Configurable by management station
        Event Group - generation and notification of events RMON
                Works with alarm group
                Log Event    - Send Trap      - Turn on data capture
                Configurable by management station

Token Ring RMON MIB

        Modified Statistics and History groups
        counts related to the Token Ring operation (MAC packets)
        counts related to data packets and interstation communication

Token Ring RMON MIB Four New Groups

        Ring Station
                RingStationTable (per station error, beacon, etc)
                Control Table (ring status, number of active stations, last
beacon, etc.)
        Ring Station Order
        Ring Station Config
                active management of stations on ring
                manager can send packets to particular stations on ring
                remove, initialize, reconfigure, etc.
        Source Routing Group
                hop count for source-destination pairs
                total frame in/out/through for ring
                all routes or single route broadcast

RMON 2

        Multilevel diagnostics
        Upper level management tools
        Address translation and duplicate IP detection
        Interoperable probe configuration
        Traffic flows per protocol per connection, per application
        Uses directory structures instead of static filters
        Augments rather than supercede RMON
        Recent standard, with RMON Lite

SNMP and Switches

        The return of switches: Ether and ATM
        Switches hide and isolate traffic
        Switches generate enormous amounts of traffic
        Switches encourage the virtual
        Switches are busy

Making SNMP work

        Which devices to monitor
        What information to collect
        How to monitor
        Diagnosing and correcting faults
        Justifying cost

Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP)

        Supports the OSI protocol stack
        Object-oriented
        Abstract data types, data encapsulation, inheritance
        Connection-oriented and avoids polling

CMIP Model

        Extends seven-layer OSI model to include managment information
        CMIS are the services that are offered (as functions)
        CMISE are the software routines that implement CMIS
        CMIP is the protocol for the actual exchange of management info
        Distributed management with domains and scoping

CMIP Services

        Get - retrieves specific management information
        Set - manipulates management information
        Action - an imperative command (reboot, reset)
        Create - create a new instance of a management object
        Delete - deletes an instance of a management object
        Event-report - reports extraordinary happenings

Managed Resources

        Objects
        Attributes that describe the object
        Operations that an object can execute
        Events the object can generate
        Object classes can pass on properties to object instances - inheritance
        MIBs and the Structure of Managed Information (SMI)

Managed Resources - Example

        Object class - server
        attributes (location, hardware, software version, etc.)
        operations ( functions, reports , etc.)
        events (errors, checkpoints, etc.)
        Object instances
        hp file server down the hall
        engineering novell server
        human resources database server

The Status of CMIP

        Openview Network Management Architecture is CMIS oriented
        OSI Network Management Forum looks at interoperability
        DEAD