snmpd.conf(5n)snmpd.conf(5n)Namesnmpd.conf - Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) daemon configu‐
ration file
Description
The file is a configuration file that contains information used by the
daemon to define the static variables whose values are not available in
the kernel. It is created for you when you run the command, or you can
create it manually. The system or network manager is usually responsi‐
ble for maintaining it.
The following are the file variables and their significance:
sysDescr ID-string
The variable describes the host. The ID-string is the value of
the variable The default entry is of the form:
hostname:machine-type:software id
For example, the entry for a MicroVAX II named that is running
ULTRIX Version 4.0 might read:
sysDescr host1:MicroVAXII:ULTRIX V4.0 (Rev 64) System #2
interface speed name speed
The variable describes a value for the Management Information Base
(MIB) variable defined as:
The name parameter must be an ULTRIX interface name, such as sl0.
The following interfaces have default interface speeds and types:
de, qe, ni, ln, se, scs, xna. If your system has one of these
interfaces, you do not need to specify this parameter.
The speed parameter is a decimal number that describes the speed
of the link in bits per second. If you do not specify the speed
parameter, does not return this variable and marks it as unavail‐
able.
interface type name type
The variable describes a value for the MIB variable in the inter‐
face table defined as:
The name parameter must be an ULTRIX interface name, such as sl0.
See the sample file in the Examples section for a complete listing
of the possible type specifications. If the type parameter is not
specified, marks it as unavailable.
tcpRtoAlgorithm algorithm-type
The variable describes a value for the MIB variable in the tcp
group defined as This variable defines the Retransmission Time-Out
(RTO) algorithm your system uses.
The algorithm-type parameter is a numeric code that represents the
type of RTO algorithm you are using. The default algorithm is Van
Jacobson's, which is algorithm number 4. See the sample file in
the Examples section for a listing of the other algorithms.
If you do not specify this parameter, does not return this vari‐
able, and marks it as unavailable.
community name IP-address type
The variable describes an SNMP community for the agent.
The name parameter is a string that describes the name of the com‐
munity.
The IP-address parameter is the dot-notation Internet Protocol
(IP) address for the server. Only SNMP packets coming from that
address are accepted. If you specify 0.0.0.0 in the address
field, the SNMP agent honors the request from any Network Manage‐
ment Station (NMS) having the name community.
The type parameter can be one of the following:
read-only
Permits only monitoring of variables.
read-write
Permits both monitoring and setting of variables.
traps
Generates traps when appropriate and sends them to the specified
address with the specified community name.
The possible traps currently generated are cold start and authen‐
tication failure.
If you do not specify any community, uses the default community
with an address 0.0.0.0 and a read-only type. Invalid uses of
communities are logged with the command. To limit the use of a
community to a finite group of machines, specify another community
clause with the same community parameter name and a different
address.
timeout value
The variable indicates the timeout value in seconds between the
Agent and the Extended Agent. If the Agent does not receive a
response within the allotted time, it returns an error message to
the NMS. The default timeout value is 5 seconds.
extension extended-agent p1 p2 p3 p4
The variable lists the pathname of the extended-agent that the
Agent activates.
Variables p1 through p4 are passed by the Agent to the Extended
Agent; p1 is usually the process name to be given to the Extended
Agent.
Examples
The default file contains only the following entry:
community public 0.0.0.0 read-only
The following is an example of an extensive file:
#
# snmpd.conf file
#
sysDescr host1:MicroVAXII:ULTRIX V4.0 System #2
#
# Describe the TCP RTO algorithm you are using. Values
# are listed in RFC 1066, under the TCP group variable:
# tcpRtoAlgorithm
# They are:
#
# other (1) -- None of the below
# constant (2) -- constant RTO
# rsre (3) -- MILSTD 1778, appendix B
# vanj (4) -- Van Jacobson's algorithm
#
tcprtoalgorithm 4
#
# Describe who can use your SNMP daemon by
# defining "communities". USAGE:
#
# community <name><IP address><type>
#
# This is a limited-use community; a finite number of
# hosts can use it.
# Can only query from this community.
#
community test1 128.45.10.100 read-only
community test1 128.45.10.101 read-only
#
# These are our wide-open, general-use communities. Specifying
# 0.0.0.0 means that any address can use this community only
# to monitor variables.
#
community public 0.0.0.0 read-only
#
# This is our only management community. You can set variables
# as well as monitor variables with this community. It is a
# wide-open community as well.
#
community testwrite 0.0.0.0 read-write
#
# This is a trap community. We send traps to these addresses
# all from the same community name. Note that a 0.0.0.0
# address in a trap session is illegal and snmpd will ignore
# that community definition.
#
community trap1 128.45.10.100 traps
community trap1 128.45.10.101 traps
#
# The interface speed is given in bits/sec. USAGE:
#
# interface speed <name> <speed>
#
interface speed sl0 9600
#
# The <name> parameter for the interface type is the
# same as the <name> for the interface speed, sl0 for
# this example. USAGE:
#
# interface type <name> <type>
#
# The code number for the proper interface hardware type
# is specified in RFC 1066 under the ifType object
# definition.
#
# Some possible values:
#
# other (1)
# regular1822 (2)
# hdh1822 (3)
# ddn-x25 (4)
# rfc877-x25 (5)
# ethernet-csmacd (6)
# iso88023-csmacd (7)
# iso88024-tokenBus (8)
# iso88025-tokenRing (9)
# iso88026-man (10)
# starLan (11)
# Proteon-10MBit (12)
# Proteon-80MBit (13)
# hyperchannel (14)
# fddi (15)
# lapb (16)
# sdlc (17)
# t1-carrier (18)
# cept (19) -- European equivalent of T-1
# basicIsdn (20)
# primaryIsdn (21)
# propPointToPointSerial (22) -- proprietary serial
#
interface type sl0 1
#
# Timer value to time out requests to extended agents.
#
timeout 6
#
# List of extended agents.
#
extension /etc/snmpextd snmpextd
In this example, note the following:
· Community can be monitored by either 128.45.10.100 or 128.45.10.101.
· Community can be monitored by any NMS.
· Community can be monitored and managed by any NMS.
· When a trap is generated, it is sent to community at 128.45.10.100
or 128.45.10.101. Destination addresses must have a mechanism in place
to handle the traps.
See Alsosnmpext(3n), snmpd(8n), snmpsetup(8n)
RFC 1066—Management Information Base for Network Management of TCP/IP-
based Internets
RFC 1067—A Simple Network Management Protocol
Guide to Networking
snmpd.conf(5n)
