Introduction to Version 3 of the Internet-standard Network Management Framework
RFC 2570

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Network Working Group                                            J. Case
Request for Comments: 2570                           SNMP Research, Inc.
Category: Informational                                         R. Mundy
                                    TIS Labs at Network Associates, Inc.
                                                              D. Partain
                                                                Ericsson
                                                              B. Stewart
                                                           Cisco Systems
                                                              April 1999

                    Introduction to Version 3 of the
             Internet-standard Network Management Framework

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this
   memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1999).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   The purpose of this document is to provide an overview of the third
   version of the Internet-standard Management Framework, termed the
   SNMP version 3 Framework (SNMPv3).  This Framework is derived from
   and builds upon both the original Internet-standard Management
   Framework (SNMPv1) and the second Internet-standard Management
   Framework (SNMPv2).

   The architecture is designed to be modular to allow the evolution of
   the Framework over time.

Table of Contents

   1 Introduction .....................................................2
   2 The Internet Standard Management Framework .......................3
   2.1 Basic Structure and Components .................................3
   2.2 Architecture of the Internet Standard Management Framework .....3
   3 The SNMPv1 Management Framework ..................................4
   3.1 The SNMPv1 Data Definition Language ............................5
   3.2 Management Information .........................................6
   3.3 Protocol Operations ............................................6
   3.4 SNMPv1 Security and Administration .............................6

Case, et al.                 Informational                      [Page 1]
RFC 2570                 Introduction to SNMPv3               April 1999

   4 The SNMPv2 Management Framework ..................................7
   5 The SNMPv3 Working Group .........................................8
   6 SNMPv3 Framework Module Specifications ..........................10
   6.1 Data Definition Language ......................................10
   6.2 MIB Modules ...................................................11
   6.3 Protocol Operations and Transport Mappings ....................12
   6.4 SNMPv3 Security and Administration ............................12
   7 Document Summaries ..............................................13
   7.1 Structure of Management Information ...........................13
   7.1.1 Base SMI Specification ......................................13
   7.1.2 Textual Conventions .........................................14
   7.1.3 Conformance Statements ......................................15
   7.2 Protocol Operations ...........................................15
   7.3 Transport Mappings ............................................15
   7.4 Protocol Instrumentation ......................................16
   7.5 Architecture / Security and Administration ....................16
   7.6 Message Processing and Dispatch (MPD) .........................16
   7.7 SNMP Applications .............................................17
   7.8 User-based Security Model (USM) ...............................17
   7.9 View-based Access Control (VACM) ..............................18
   7.10 SNMPv3 Coexistence and Transition ............................18
   8 Security Considerations .........................................19
   9 Editors' Addresses ..............................................19
   10 References .....................................................20
   11 Full Copyright Statement .......................................23

1 Introduction

   This document is an introduction to the third version of the
   Internet-standard Management Framework, termed the SNMP version 3
   Management Framework (SNMPv3) and has multiple purposes.

   First, it describes the relationship between the SNMP version 3
   (SNMPv3) specifications and the specifications of the SNMP version 1
   (SNMPv1) Management Framework, the SNMP version 2 (SNMPv2) Management
   Framework, and the Community-based Administrative Framework for
   SNMPv2.

   Second, it provides a roadmap to the multiple documents which contain
   the relevant specifications.

   Third, this document provides a brief easy-to-read summary of the
   contents of each of the relevant specification documents.

   This document is intentionally tutorial in nature and, as such, may
   occasionally be "guilty" of oversimplification.  In the event of a