*Behind the scenes. (overview of 13 evaluations of network management software)(includes related articles on highlights, Editors' Choice, Simple Network Management Protocol, Suitability to Task

PC Magazine  Dec 7, 1993 v12 n21 p335(21)

SNMP: Living Up to Its Name?

by Michael Blakeley

Network management can be a costly and time-consuming endeavor that
can impact your success as a network administrator. So why add to the
complexity by considering the Simple Network Management Protocol
(SNMP)?

SNMP was designed for the Internet, a vast expanse of computers linked
across the globe via TCP/IP. Early on, the Internet consisted mainly of
educational and government institutions.

But SNMP soon became the sine qua non of corporate networks as well.
With its ability to pull data regarding hubs, client systems, and routers
across increasingly heterogeneous networks, SNMP found its way onto
the desktops of many corporate WAN managers.

In the second quarter of this year, standards for Version 2 of SNMP were
released. SNMP 2 adds manager-to-manager communications, security
features (including user authentication and DES encryption), and bulk
data retrieval, but it maintains backward compatibility with older SNMP
agents. Transport mappings are now specified for AppleTalk, IPX/SPX,
OSI, and TCP/IP, allowing PCs to be managed without a TCP/IP stack.

SNMP 2 is also closely tied to the efforts of the Desktop Management
Task Force, which has developed a reference model for network
management called the Desktop Management Interface (DMI).

SNMP management applications can be written for Windows and are now
capable of talking to both TCP/IP and IPX agents. NetWare servers can
thus be managed remotely without the user having to install TCP/IP. PCs
with SNMP-aware network-interface cards can be managed over IPX,
whereas existing TCP/IP agents in hubs and routers can continue to be
managed with the same applications.

One example of network management's new course is LANDesk/OpenView
for Windows, a joint venture of Hewlett-Packard Co. and Intel Corp. that
will support NetWare, SNMP, and DMI. OpenView is one of the best SNMP
applications for Unix available at this time, and its port to Windows
will be a real boon for PC administrators.

Whether your network is primarily based on DOS machines, Unix
workstations, or even Macintoshes, SNMP 2 provides enough power and
flexibility to live up to its name.