ISPPlanet Network Management System Series - SNMP ToolChest

Device Browse and Query

SmartBrowser (right) uses SNMP GET for simple ad hoc queries and poll-driven analysis based on predefined expressions. This tool is a real-time device monitor—results are presented in continuously-updated windows. For one-time queries, use the Tools menu to select a MIB group or table and supply a single hostname or IP address. Scalar objects are queried as a group. Tables can be "walked" or queried by row index. Results are listed in a scrollable (but not resizable) window. This Tools menu appears in several SNMP ToolChest applications, enabling ad-hoc device query from any monitoring utility.

New MIB objects can be added to the Tools menu (left) by modifying the Tcl. But don't expect to find "how to" instructions in the Help file. Through trial and error, we discovered how to add our own MIBs: just place new MIB files in Tcl\lib\tnm3.0.0 and add statements to tmn3.0.0\library\init.tcl. We found it remarkably easy to extend the SNMP ToolChest in this fashion—even those unfamiliar with Tcl can use existing code as a template. On the other hand, there's no provision to browse an entire device or MIB—if you want to query more than what appears on the Tools menu, you must extend the Tcl..

Device Control
Many SNMP managers include a SET tool for device control; SNMP ToolChest Silver Edition does not. Several Gold Edition tools perform SNMP SETs on select MIB variables. For example, the Gold Edition EtherScope tool modifies etherStatsStatus and the RMONv2Config tool manipulates a number of RMONv2 (remote monitoring MIB) tables. However, these SETs ultimately provide status monitoring, not device control. You'll need to "roll your own" with the Tcl platform or use a complementary tool—a Telnet command line interface or another NMS product—to remotely reboot devices and update configurable network parameters.

Go to Part 4: Status Monitoring