RFC 1155 (rfc1155) - Page 3 of 22

Structure and identification of management information for TCP/IP-based internets

RFC 1155                          SMI                           May 1990


   Task Force, particularly the working note titled "Structure and
   Identification of Management Information for the Internet" [4].  This
   memo uses a skeletal structure derived from that note, but differs in
   one very significant way:  that note focuses entirely on the use of
   OSI-style network management.  As such, it is not suitable for use
   with SNMP.

   This memo attempts to achieve two goals:  simplicity and
   extensibility.  Both are motivated by a common concern:  although the
   management of TCP/IP-based internets has been a topic of study for
   some time, the authors do not feel that the depth and breadth of such
   understanding is complete.  More bluntly, we feel that previous
   experiences, while giving the community insight, are hardly
   conclusive.  By fostering a simple SMI, the minimal number of
   constraints are imposed on future potential approaches; further, by
   fostering an extensible SMI, the maximal number of potential
   approaches are available for experimentation.

   It is believed that this memo and its two companions comply with the
   guidelines set forth in RFC 1052, "IAB Recommendations for the
   Development of Internet Network Management Standards" [5] and RFC
   1109, "Report of the Second Ad Hoc Network Management Review Group"
   [6].  In particular, we feel that this memo, along with the memo
   describing the management information base, provide a solid basis for
   network management of the Internet.


























Rose & McCloghrie