RFC 3512 (rfc3512) - Page 2 of 83

Configuring Networks and Devices with Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)

RFC 3512       Configuring Networks and Devices with SNMP     April 2003


           3.3.1. Conceptual Table Row Modification Practices. . . .  12
           3.3.2. Fate sharing with multiple tables. . . . . . . . .  13
           3.3.3. Transaction Control MIB Objects. . . . . . . . . .  14
           3.3.4. Creating And Activating New Table Rows . . . . . .  15
           3.3.5. Summary Objects and State Tracking . . . . . . . .  15
           3.3.6. Optimizing Configuration Data Transfer . . . . . .  18
      3.4. More Index Design Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  22
           3.4.1. Simple Integer Indexing. . . . . . . . . . . . . .  23
           3.4.2. Indexing with Network Addresses. . . . . . . . . .  23
      3.5. Conflicting Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  24
      3.6. Textual Convention Usage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  25
      3.7. Persistent Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  26
      3.8. Configuration Sets and Activation . . . . . . . . . . . .  28
           3.8.1. Operational Activation Considerations. . . . . . .  28
           3.8.2. RowStatus and Deactivation . . . . . . . . . . . .  30
      3.9. SET Operation Latency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  31
           3.9.1. Subsystem Latency, Persistence Latency,
                  and Activation Latency . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  33
      3.10. Notifications and Error Reporting. . . . . . . . . . . .  33
           3.10.1. Identifying Source of Configuration Changes . . .  34
           3.10.2. Limiting Unnecessary Transmission of
                   Notifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  34
           3.10.3. Control of Notification Subsystem . . . . . . . .  36
      3.11 Application Error Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  36
      3.12 Designing MIB Modules for Multiple Managers . . . . . . .  37
      3.13 Other MIB Module Design Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . .  39
           3.13.1. Octet String Aggregations . . . . . . . . . . . .  39
           3.13.2 Supporting multiple instances of a MIB Module. . .  40
           3.13.3 Use of Special Optional Clauses. . . . . . . . . .  41
   4. Implementing SNMP Configuration Agents . . . . . . . . . . . .  41
      4.1. Operational Consistency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  41
      4.2. Handling Multiple Managers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  43
      4.3. Specifying Row Modifiability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  44
      4.4. Implementing Write-only Access Objects. . . . . . . . . .  44
   5. Designing Configuration Management Software. . . . . . . . . .  44
      5.1. Configuration Application Interactions
           with Managed Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  45
           5.1.1. SET Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  46
           5.1.2. Configuration Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . .  46
           5.1.3. Tracking Configuration Changes . . . . . . . . . .  47
           5.1.4. Scalability of Data Retrieval. . . . . . . . . . .  48
   6. Deployment and Security Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  48
      6.1. Basic assumptions about Configuration . . . . . . . . . .  48
      6.2. Secure Agent Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  49
      6.3. Authentication Notifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  49
      6.4. Sensitive Information Handling. . . . . . . . . . . . . .  50
   7. Policy-based Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  51
      7.1. What Is the Meaning of 'Policy-based' . . . . . . . . . .  51



MacFaden, et al.             Informational