SNMP Guides for the Real World

Most of the SNMP information available online is generic. These helpful guides and articles will help you quickly learn and understand SNMP as it applies to real-world projects and systems:

• The Fast Track Introduction to SNMP Alarm Monitoring
  This is the tremendously popular "SNMP Tutorial" from DPS Telecom with over 100,000 PDF downloads. Learn SNMP message formats, including the most-popular "trap" format. Understand the implications of new SNMP versions like SNMPv3.
• How to Make a Low-Cost, No-Sacrifice Transition to SNMP
  This guide (download the PDF or read it online) was originally written when companies were busy transitioning to SNMP on a large scale. If you have legacy sites that need an SNMP upgrade, the same priniciples still apply today.
• 5 Essential Features to Look for When Evaluating SNMP Proxy Devices
  Choosing an SNMP device for your company's network is a big decision. You'll want to standardize on a single unit (or just a few for different capacity requirements), so it had better be a good one.
• How to Read and Understand the SNMP MIB
  The SNMP MIB is the backbone of any SNMP configuration. Without a properly compiled MIB file, your SNMP manager has no way of interpreting trap messages received by agents (RTUs and more). The MIB is a plain-text file, but that doesn't mean you can read and understand it without a bit of training. This guide contains several examples of real MIB files and what they mean.
• SNMP Tutorial Part 1: An Introduction to SNMP
  This online version of the SNMP Tutorial teaches you all the basics of SNMP in just two short web pages. Learn about managers, agents, and MIBs.
• How to upgrade SNMP v1/v2 equipment to SNMPv3 for added security
  SNMP has gone through several incremental iterations. With the release of SNMPv3, privacy/encryption add a layer of protection against unauthorized cyber intruders. This is especially important for government, large corporations, and other potential targets of vandalism, theft, or even terrorism. Find out how you can convert your existing SNMP infrastructure to secure SNMPv3 without throwing out your substantial existing investment.
• SNMP monitoring from your smartphone
  It's the smartphone age! Don't be trapped behind a terminal all day monitoring SNMP. Sometimes, you probably have to go out into the field for maintenance or to tend to a problem. Take your SNMP manger with you using these techniques to manage SNMP from your mobile smartphone.
• How to monitor legacy non-SNMP equipment using SNMP
  SNMP is fairly ubiquitous at this point, but that doesn't mean that all the gear in your network supports it. Some older equipment may use a proprietary or legacy protocol, or simply contact closures. In this article, you'll find out how to bring non-SNMP equipment under the monitoring "umbrella" of your SNMP manager.
• Monitor your propane tanks with simple SNMP RTUs
  Your propane is valuable, and your service reliability is even more important. Don't keep hoping that you won't run out of propane. Know for certain how much you have in each of your tanks. Learn how simple SNMP RTUs provide a cost-effetive means to accurately measure how much generator fuel you have remaining. Plus, learn how you can use that same RTU to monitor a variety of other important values.