RFC 1910 (rfc1910) - Page 1 of 44


User-based Security Model for SNMPv2



Alternative Format: Original Text Document



Network Working Group                                  G. Waters, Editor
Request for Comments: 1910                   Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
Category: Experimental                                     February 1996


                  User-based Security Model for SNMPv2

Status of this Memo

   This memo defines an Experimental Protocol for the Internet
   community.  This memo does not specify an Internet standard of any
   kind.  Discussion and suggestions for improvement are requested.
   Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Table of Contents

   1. Introduction ................................................    2
   1.1 Threats ....................................................    3
   1.2 Goals and Constraints ......................................    4
   1.3 Security Services ..........................................    5
   1.4 Mechanisms .................................................    5
   1.4.1 Digest Authentication Protocol ...........................    7
   1.4.2 Symmetric Encryption Protocol ............................    8
   2. Elements of the Model .......................................   10
   2.1 SNMPv2 Users ...............................................   10
   2.2 Contexts and Context Selectors .............................   11
   2.3 Quality of Service (qoS) ...................................   13
   2.4 Access Policy ..............................................   13
   2.5 Replay Protection ..........................................   13
   2.5.1 agentID ..................................................   14
   2.5.2 agentBoots and agentTime .................................   14
   2.5.3 Time Window ..............................................   15
   2.6 Error Reporting ............................................   15
   2.7 Time Synchronization .......................................   16
   2.8 Proxy Error Propagation ....................................   16
   2.9 SNMPv2 Messages Using this Model ...........................   16
   2.10 Local Configuration Datastore (LCD) .......................   18
   3. Elements of Procedure .......................................   19
   3.1 Generating a Request or Notification .......................   19
   3.2 Processing a Received Communication ........................   20
   3.2.1 Additional Details .......................................   28
   3.2.1.1 ASN.1 Parsing Errors ...................................   28
   3.2.1.2 Incorrectly Encoded Parameters .........................   29
   3.2.1.3 Generation of a Report PDU .............................   29
   3.2.1.4 Cache Timeout ..........................................   29
   3.3 Generating a Response ......................................   30
   4. Discovery ...................................................   30
   5. Definitions .................................................   31



Waters                        Experimental