SNMP Architecture

The network management consist of three basic elements:

1. Network management stations
2. Network elements
3. Agent

Network elements can be nodes or any other monitored device on a network. Network management stations monitor these network elements. Agents are the management software.

To solve the network management problem, SNMP uses the MIB (Management Information Base) to specifie all variables in a network, and the SMI (Structure of Management Information) to define all specifications for structures and the identifications schemes used to reference it.

All work of SNMP is done at the application layer (layer 7) of the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model.