SNMP

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) lets a central manager monitor and configure network devices via a standardized message format.

Devices expose variables called management information. Managers query or set these variables using SNMP messages such as GET, SET, and TRAP.

A Management Information Base (MIB) organizes this data hierarchically so tools can locate counters, interface statuses, and configuration parameters. SNMP versions 1 and 2 use simple community strings for authentication, while SNMPv3 adds encryption and stronger security features.