SNMP Paper Patrol

Integrating PATROL
with SNMP
February 2000
Integrating PATROL with SNMP ii
Contents
SNMP an Introduction
The SNMP Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Standard Message Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
PDU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Standard Set of Managed Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
MIB Structure and Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
MIB Object Access Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
MIB Tree Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Discrete MIB Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Table Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
MIB Object Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Compiling MIB Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Standard Addition of Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
SNMP Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
SNMP Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
SNMP Master Agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
SNMP Sub-agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Instrumenting Applications for Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
PATROL SNMP Implementation
PATROL SNMP Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
PATROL SNMP Master Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
PATROL SNMP Sub-agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
PATROL SNMP ImplementationWindows NT . . . . . . . . . . . 13
PATROL SNMP ImplementationUnix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
PATROL as an SNMP Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
MIB to KM Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Third-party SNMP Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
The PATROL SNMP Toolkit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Integrating PATROL with SNMP iii
Configuring PATROL for SNMP
Configuring the PATROL SNMP Master Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
The PATROL Agent SNMP Support Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
PATROL Agent SNMP Interested Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Variables for Configuring the Agent with SNMP . . . . . . . . . . . 21
When Configuration Changes Take Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Testing Agent SNMP Trap Sending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
The PATROL MIB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
PATROL MIB TreeObjects Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
PATROL MIB TreeVariables Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
PATROL MIB TreeApplications Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
PATROL MIB TreeInstances Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
PATROL MIB TreeTrap Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Using PSL to Control PATROL and SNMP
Listening for SNMP Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Sending SNMP Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Starting and Stopping the SNMP Sub-Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Getting and Setting MIB Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Using PSL to Change the Registered SNMP Manager List . . . . . . 36
Debugging PSL Functions for SNMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Interpreting Error Messages from PSL Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Using SNMP to Send Traps
Methods of Sending SNMP Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
PATROL Event Manager and SNMP Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Standard Event Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Configuring the Event Catalog for SNMP Traps . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Altering Event Classes for Trap Notification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Configuring the List of Recipients for SNMP Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Configuring the Agent for SNMP Trap Sending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
PATROL Agent SNMP Configuration Variables
Items That Cannot Be Changed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Changing the PATROL Master Agent Directory
and Start Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Changing the Events That Trigger SNMP Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Changing Whether PSL Supports SNMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Changing SNMPV1 Managers That Get SNMP Traps
from the Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Changing the MIB File That the Agent Uses for SNMP . . . . . . . . . 52
Changing Port Information for PSL SNMP Functions . . . . . . . . . . 52
Changing Community Names for SNMP Operations . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Changing Retry and Timeout for PSL and SNMP Operations . . . . 54
Changing Whether SNMP Is Started with Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Appendix A: ASN.1
Branch Object Identifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Leaf Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Object Syntax Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Integrating PATROL with SNMP 1
This paper introduces SNMP, provides an overview of SNMP architecture, provides an
overview of the PATROL SNMP architecture, and provides information on implementing
SNMP in your PATROL environment.
This paper explains what components of the PATROL Agent are required to implement
SNMP, why these components are required, and how to access the PATROL MIB and other
MIBs using the PATROL Agent.
The following topics are covered:
SNMP an Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
PATROL SNMP Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Configuring PATROL for SNMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Using PSL to Control PATROL and SNMP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Using SNMP to Send Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
PATROL Agent SNMP Configuration Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Appendix A: ASN.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
SNMP an Introduction 2
SNMP was born out of the U.S> Department of Defenses Advanced Research Projects
Agencys efforts to manage their expanding network of systems from different vendors. Three
solutions were proposed:
High-level Entity Management System (HEMS)
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
CMIP
CMIP was chosen as the preferred solution, but SNMP evolved out of CMIP as a short-term
solution.
SNMP has been very successful because it is light and flexible. Since SNMP is a light-weight
communications protocol, it adds very little traffic to a network that it is managing.
Additionally, SNMPs simple design allows users to expand the applications that are
monitored by SNMP very easily.
The original specification for SNMP (V1) caught on quickly but exposed a few deficiencies:
bugs
security
To address these deficiencies SNMP V2 was introduced, but disagreements about security
methods led to V2 dropping its security solution. However, V2 did manage to fix some bugs
and introduce new data types and message formats. Recently, V3 has been proposed and
provides a security solution.
This paper address SNMP V1 with little reference to V2 tolerance.
The SNMP Standard
SNMP can be viewed in many different ways, but the perspective presented here will be that
SNMP is actually three distinct standards:
a standard message format
a standard set of managed objects
a standard way of adding objects
Standard Message Format
SNMP has a standard communication protocol that defines a message format. The messages
are encoded into a protocol called Protocol Data Units (PDU). PDU messages are exchanged
by SNMP devices. While the format of the PDU messages is very complex, it is generally
hidden by the network management software. This part of the standard is highly involved and
of little interest to users, but on the other hand PDU is of great interest to SNMP
programmers.
Message Types
Four types of SNMP messages are defined that allow you to get values from the managed
object, set values on the managed object, and allow the managed object to communicate with
the network manager:
get request
get next request
set request
trap message
PDU
SNMP works very simply. It exchanges network information through messages (technically
known as protocol data units (or PDUs)). From a high-level perspective, the message (PDU)
can be looked at as an object that contains variables that have both titles and values.
There are four basic PDUs that SNMP employs to monitor a network: two deal with reading
terminal data, one deals with setting terminal data, and one is used for monitoring network
events such as terminal start-ups or shut-downs.
Therefore, if you want to see if a terminal is attached to the network, you would use SNMP to
send out a read PDU to that terminal. If the terminal was attached to the network, you would
receive back the PDU, its value being yes, the terminal is attached. If the terminal was shut
off, you would receive a packet sent out by the terminal being shut off informing you of the
shutdown. In this instance a trap PDU would have been dispatched by the terminal.
Get Request
Specific vales can be obtained from a device using the get request. Typically, many different
values can be obtained from a device using SNMP without the overhead associated with
logging into the device, or establishing a TCP connection with the device.
Get Next Request
With the get next request, SNMP managers can walk through all the SNMP values of a
device to discover all the names and values that the device supports. This is accomplished by
starting with the value of the first SNMP object and then using the get net request until there
are no more SNMP objects to get. The process of using the get next request to obtain the
values of all the SNMP objects is referred to as walking the objects.
Set Request
The set request provides a mechanism by which devices can managed using SNMP. With the
set request, SNMP can be used to accomplish activities such as disabling interfaces,
disconnecting users, clearing registers, and more on the managed device.
Trap Message
The trap message allows the SNMP managed device to communicate with the manager. This
allows the device to notify the manager of specific problems. Typically, the use of traps
requires each device on the network to be configured to issue SNMP traps to one or more
network devices that are awaiting or listening for the traps.
Standard Set of Managed Objects
SNMP is a standard set of values (SNMP objects) that can be queried from a device.
Specifically, the standard includes values for monitoring TCP, IP, UDP, and device interfaces.
Each manageable object is identified with an official name, and also with a numeric identifier
expressed in dot notation.
The list of SNMP objects and their values is often referred to as the SNMP Management
information Base (MIB). The MIB is simply an abstraction like database that represents all
the SNMP objects or any portion of the data associated with the network.
The various SNMP values in the standard MIB are defined in RFC-1213 (one of the
governing specifications for SNMP). The standard MIB includes various objects to measure
and monitor IP activity, TCP activity, UDP activity, IP routes, TCP connections, interfaces,
and general system information. Each of these values is associated with an official name and
a numeric value in dot notation. For example, the elapsed time since a managed object was
booted is represented as one of the following values:
sysUpTime
1.3.6.1.2.1.1.3.0
Usually, the tendency is to use the name of the MIB object instead of the numerical identifier.
much like the way host names are used instead of IP addresses on the Web.
See MIB Structure and Objects on page 5 for more information on the description of MIB
objects.
MIB Structure and Objects
To use SNMP effectively, users need to become acquainted with the SNMP MIB which
defines all the values that SNMP is capable of reading or setting. Each SNMP object is
defined to have a particular access, either read-only, read-write, or write-only that determines
what can be done to the object.
MIB Object Access Values
Before any object can be manipulated the SNMP community name must be known.
Community names are configured into the system by the administrator, and can be viewed as
passwords required for to SNMP objects to be manipulated. Community names exist to allow
portions of the MIB and object subsets to be referenced. As the term community implies, the
true purpose of these values is to identify commonality between SNMP object sets. Is is
common to make the community strings obscure to limit access to SNMP capability by
outside users.
MIB Tree Structure
The SNMP MIB is arranged in a tree-structure, similar to the directory structure of files on a
disk. The top-level SNMP branch begins with the ISO internet directory that contains four
branches:
mgmtthis branch contains the standard SNMP objects that are supported by most
network devices.
privatethis branch contains the extended SNMP objects that are defined by network
equipment vendors.
experimentalthis branch usually contains no meaningful data or objects.
directorythis branch usually contains no meaningful data or objects.
The MIB is a tree structure much like a file directory structure. The top five levels of the MIB
tree are constant, and all other MIBs are added to those branches. Figure 3 on page 6 shows
the top of the MIB object tree:
Figure 3 MIB Object Tree
The tree structure is an integral part of the SNMP standard. and the most important parts of
the tree are the leaf objects that provide actual management data regarding the devices.
Generally, the leaf objects are divided into two groups that reflect the organization of the tree
structure.
discrete MIB objects contain one piece of information
table MIB objects contain multiple pieces of information
Discrete and table objects are identified by their extensions. Discrete objects have a .0
(dot-zero) extension added to their name indicating that they are discrete objects, and table
objects have a .instance (dot-instance) extension where the instance is a number greater
than zero that represents the index into the SNMP table for this value.
Discrete MIB Objects
Discrete objects are scalar values that usually represent summary values for a device or a
current value/state of a device. that make them particularly useful for scanning information
from a network for the purposes of comparing device performance. These are the end points
in the MIB tree.
Table Objects
SNMP tables are special types of SNMP objects that allow parallel arrays of information to
be supported. Tables are distinguished from discrete objects because they can grow without
bounds. For example, SNMP defines the ifDescr object (a standard SNMP object) that
indicates the text description of each interface supported by a particular device. Since network
devices can be configured with more than one interface, this object must be represented as an
array to accommodate multiple and expanding values.
SNMP objects are always grouped in a Entry directory within an object with a Table suffix.
The ifDescr object residues in the iEntry directory contained in the ifTable directory. Several
constraints are placed on SNMP objects:
Each object in the Entry directory of a table must contain the same number of elements as
other objects in the same Entry directory where the instance numbers of all entries are the
same. Table objects are always regarded as parallel arrays of data.
When creating a new Entry object, SNMP requires that a value is associated with each
table entry in a single SNMP message (PDU). This means that to create a row in a table,
using the SNMP set command, a value must be specified for each element in the row.
If a table row can be deleted, SNMP requires that at least one object in the entry has a
control element that is documented to perform the table deletion. (This applies only if the
row can be deleted, which is not necessarily required of an SNMP table.)
MIB tables are access by using the OID that represents an index into the table. Figure 4 shows
how the PSL snmp_walk() function would access the MIB table using the OID as an index
into the table:
Figure 4 MIB Table Indexing
MIB Object Types
All MIB objects have specific value types. Table 5 list the primitive object types defined by
SNMP:
Table 5 MIB Object Types
Type Description
Text A DisplayString type that can contain textual information (usually limited to 256 characters). The text must
contain only printable characters.
Counter A numeric value that can only increase.
Gauge A numeric value that can increase or decrease. While this value is not very common in the standard MIB is
widely used in private MIBs.
Integer A basic integer value that can contain either positive or negatives values. Usually, this value is supplanted
by Counter or Gauge values.
EnumVal A enumerated value that associates a textual label with a numeric value. This type is common in the
standard MIB.
Time A TimeTicks type that represents an elapsed time. This time always has a resolution of one hundredth of a
second, even if it is not used. Network managers frequently format this time as HH:MM:SS:ss for display.
The time value is always an elapsed time value. For example, sysUpTime indicates the elapsed time since
the device was booted.
Object A value that an contain the identifier for another SNMP object. If the named object is compiled into the
MIB, the name is usually displayed as the name of the SNMP object.
IPAddr A value that contains an IP address of a network device. This type of object is often displayed in the type
as an IP address in conventional dot notation.
PhysAd A value that contains the physical address of a network device. Managers often display this value as a
series of hexadecimal values, prefixed by the hex keyword and separated by colons.
String A value that contains arbitrary byte strings. If the byte string contains only ASCII characters, managers
display the value as a text string. Otherwise the managers display this type as a sequence of hexadecimal
values prefixed by the hex keyword and separated by colons. Tis value is not common in the standard MIB
objects but it is occasionally found in private MIBs.
Table A value that is a branch object containing table entries. This object is always an intermediate name that
contains an Entry directory that contains various table objects.
Branch A value that defines an SNMP branch that contains additional SNMP objects.
Compiling MIB Objects
One of the principle components of an SNMP manager is a MIB compiler that allows new
MIB objects to be added to the management system. This concept can be confusing to new
users because of the strange nomenclature associated with this term.
When a MIB is compiled into an SNMP manager, the manager is simply made aware of the
new objects that are supported by agents on the network. The concept is similar to adding a
new schema to a database. The agent is not affected by the MIB compilation since it is
already aware of its own objects. The act of compiling the MIB allows the manager to learn
about special objects supported by the agent and access these objects as part of the standard
object set.
Standard Addition of Objects
Certainly, one reason that SNMP has become popular and an industry standard is that it has a
method for expanding the standard set of managed objects, so network device vendors could
add new objects that are specific to a particular network.
SNMP adds new objects to the MIB through a process referred to as compiling a new MIB.
The new definitions are usually supplied by network equipment vendors in specially
formatted text files using Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN.1) standard syntax. ASN.1 is a
type declaration language, adopted by SNMP and used in few other places. See Appendix A:
ASN.1 on page 55 for more information on ASN.1 syntax.
Note
The MIB of a device is usually constructed by the network equipment
vendor and is static and cannot be modified. The addition of MIB objects
refers to SNMP management software.
SNMP management software becomes aware of the MIB values supported by a device by
compiling a description of the device into the network management program.
SNMP Architecture
SNMP architecture consists of the following components:
SNMP manager
SNMP master agent
SNMP sub-agents
SNMP instrumenting applications
SNMP Managers
The SNMP manager is an application that provides some basic components for working with
SNMP and ANMP objects. Typically, an SNMP manager will provide the following
functionality:
alarm polling functions
trend monitoring functions
trap reception
management tools
a MIB compiler
MIB Compiler
SNMP managers must also have the ability to add new MIB objects that are provided by
network equipment. MIB objects are added using a MIB compiler.
Management Tools
SNMP managers provide tools for inspecting raw MIB objects and setting SNMP values of an
agent. This is usually in the form of a MIB browser.
Trap Reception
All SNMP managers provide some ability to receive and filter SNMP traps issued by network
devices. SNMP traps are an important part of the SNMP standard because they allow devices
to report their own problems.
Alarm Polling
Most substantial SNMP managers provide some ability to set thresholds on SNMP MIB
objects, and respond with some type of notification when these thresholds are violated. This
provides a means of constantly testing a networks integrity against a baseline. The alarm
polling functionality will also determine what devices are responding and which devices are
not responding.
Trend Monitoring
Most SNMP managers provide some ability to continuously watch an SNMP value over time
and view trends in the network. Trend monitoring can be used to determine load of a network
over time by watching bandwidth. Typically a management system will plot network
utilization versus time.
SNMP Master Agents
The SNMP master agent is a process that runs on a platform that supports the SNMP
protocol. It listens for SNMP requests on the default SNMP port 161 and serves as a gateway
to other processes on the same platform that support either a sub protocol (emanate, SMUX)
or some private protocol (i.e. proxy service)
SNMP Sub-agents
A subagent may be a stand alone process or part of the application to be managed. The
process supports the sub protocol of the master agent and responds to requests for information
from the master agent.
Instrumenting Applications for Management
Instrumented applications are simply applications that are set up to communicate with SNMP
and set their values so that they can be accessed through SNMP.
Instrumenting applications is the process of providing access methods to an application or
process data through SNMP protocol. BMC offers the PATROL SNMP toolkit as shareware
to instrument applications for management via SNMP.
PATROL SNMP Implementation 6
This section provides an overview of the SNMP implementation in PATROL. PATROL
SNMP Architecture and the PATROL MIB are discussed.
PATROL SNMP Architecture
PATROL SNMP architecture consists of the following components:
SNMP manager
SNMP master agent
SNMP sub-agents
SNMP instrumenting applications
PATROL SNMP Master Agent
The PATROL SNMP master agent listens for SNMP requests on port 161 and serves as a
gateway to other processes. It supports the SMUX sub protocol. It supports the PATROL
Sub-agent, other sub-agents supporting SMUX, and other SNMP devices through
encapsulation.
PATROL SNMP Sub-agent
The PATROL subagent is a process combined with the PATROL process to translate SMUX
messages to the PATROL Agent. The sub-agent can be started with PSL or with a
configuration variable of the PATROL Agent. The PATROL SNMP Master Agent must be
running for the sub-agent to run.
PATROL SNMP ImplementationWindows NT
SNMP on WINDOWS NT is delivered as a service dll to which other SNMP agents
communicate with through the WINSNMP API. The service is installed optionally, and it is
set as the default master agent listening on port 161. Figure 7 shows how PATROL SNMP
support is implemented on Windows NT:
Figure 7 PATROL SNMP Implementation on Windows NT
PATROL SNMP ImplementationUnix
Unix vendors support default master agents listening on port 161. AIX uses SMUX, HP uses
Emanate. HP loads the sub-agents into the master agents process space. Figure 7 shows how
PATROL SNMP support is implemented on Unix:
Figure 8 PATROL SNMP Implementation on Unix
PATROL as an SNMP Manager
The PATROL console can be used as an SNMP manager if you create a PATROL KM using
the PSL SNMP commands that communicates with and manages applications.
When you are using PATROL as an SNMP manager, the PATRPL KM is the interface to the
SNMP MIB. The KM is mapped to the SNMP objects, and the KM allows you to monitor and
manipulate the SNMP MIB through the KM.
The PATROL SNMP Master Agent is not required to use the PATROL Console as an SNMP
manager.
MIB to KM Wizard
The MIB to KM Wizard is a tool that reads a MIB definition and creates a KM that includes
parameters, infoboxes, and applications based on the object definitions in a MIB. You can edit
the KM to add functionality, or the KM can then be loaded and PATROL can manage the
SNMP devices along with other applications. You can obtain the PATROL MIB to KM
Wizard from the BMC Software Developer Connection (DevCon) Web Site at
http:\\devcon.bmc.com.
Third-party SNMP Managers
Third-party SNMP managers can be used to manage and monitor PATROL using SNMP.
Here are some considerations for using third-party SNMP managers with PATROL.
Compiling the PATROL MIB
When you are using a third-party SNMP Manager. You can manage PATROL objects in the
PATROL MIB after you compile the PATROL MIB into your SNMP management
application. MIB supports V1 syntax. Some MIB compilers will generate errors so MIBs may
need to be edited to ensure the correct V1 syntax is used.
Dynamic OIDs
The PATROL MIB is a little unique because it has dynamic OIDs. Normally, an SNMP MIB
is fairly static, and the OIDs remain constant. However, in PATROL the many of the OIDs
correspond to application instances and the corresponding elements of the application. So
when you are dealing with the PATROL MIB, you must be aware that it will probably look
very different every time you access it.
It is very important to note that since PATROL OIDs are dynamic, an instance may be present
one moment and then gone the next moment if the instance disappears.
Configuring SNMP Management Consoles to Recognize PATROL Traps
SNMP trap notification requires configuration on two ends: the PATROL Agent sending the
traps, and the non-PATROL SNMP management console receiving the traps. The Agent needs
to know where to send the traps. The SNMP management console needs to know how to
recognize PATROL traps, and what to do about them. Also, the SNMP manager must be
added to the PATROL Agents list of interested managers in the config.default configuration
file.
The PATROL SNMP Toolkit
The PATROL SNMP Toolkit is a set of tools that help you integrate third-party applications
with PATROL. The toolkit helps you set up applications to communicate with SNMP and set
their values so that they can be accessed through SNMP. You can obtain the PATROL SNMP
Toolkit from the BMC Software Developer Connection (DevCon) Web Site at
http:\\devcon.bmc.com.
Configuring PATROL for SNMP 9
The PATROL Agent communicates with both SNMP Managers and SNMP Agents. It
communicates with the SNMP Managers through the SNMP Master Agent. The same is not
true for the SNMP Agents, but SNMP support must be active for this communication to take
place. Configuring PATROL for SNMP consists of the following steps:
set the port number and community name for the PATROL SNMP Master Agent
The PATROL SNMP Master Agent/Sub-Agent model is based on an industry standard
known as SMUX that allows one or more SNMP Sub-Agents to connect to a single
SNMP Master Agent using a TCP SMUX port (TCP port 199 by default).
For more information on configuring the PATROL SNMP Master Agent see Configuring
the PATROL SNMP Master Agent on page 17.
turn on the SNMP support variables
The PATROL Agent configuration variable /snmp/agent_auto_start is set to yes, the
PATROL Agent starts the SNMP Sub-Agent when the PATROL Agent is started. On Unix
the /snmp/masteragent_auto_start variable must not be set to no.
For more information on configuring the PATROL Agent SNMP support variables see
The PATROL Agent SNMP Support Variables on page 19.
add the SNMP manager to the list of interested SNMPV1 managers.
For more information on adding SNMP managers to the list of interested managers see
PATROL Agent SNMP Interested Managers on page 20.
Note
The SNMP management console needs to know how to recognize PATROL traps, and
what to do about them. On some consoles it involves configuration of internal rules and
tables. In others it may involve configuring the "trapd.conf" configuration file.
configure events to send SNMP traps
For more information on adding SNMP managers to the list of interested managers see
PATROL Agent SNMP Interested Managers on page 20.
Figure 10 shows the process for configuring the PATROL Agent to run with SNMP:
Figure 10 Configuring PATROL for SNMP
Configuring the PATROL SNMP Master Agent
The PATROL SNMP architecture is comprised of an SNMP Master Agent that is a separate
external process and an SNMP Sub-Agent that is part of the PATROL Agent.
The PATROL SNMP Master Agent/Sub-Agent model is based on an industry standard known
as SMUX that allows one or more SNMP Sub-Agents to connect to a single SNMP Master
Agent using a TCP SMUX port (TCP port 199 by default).
The configuration of the PATROL SNMP Master Agent is controlled by the values contained
in the PATROL SNMP Master Agent configuration file. Below is the name and path of this
file:
On Unix, it is $PATROL_HOME/lib/snmpmagt.cfg.
On Windows NT, it is %PATROL_HOME%\lib\snmpmagt.cfg.
The PATROL SNMP Master Agent configuration file lists the community name and SNMP
listening port. This configuration file is in ASCII text format, which means you can use any
text editor to effect changes.
An SNMP manager is an application that controls an SNMP Agent by making SNMP
requests of it and setting variables in it. An SNMP Agent is an application that builds internal
SNMP structures and provides SNMP information to SNMP Managers in the form of SNMP
traps and responses to SNMP queries.

Set the port
number and
community
name for the
PATROL
SNMP Master
Verify that the
SNMP support
variable is on.
Add the SNMP
manager to the
list of interested
SNMPV1
managers.

Set the user
access, host
access, and
mode access
for the SNMP
manager.
Set the severity
level of events
that trigger
traps.
Agent.
(default setting)
The configuration of the PATROL SNMP Master Agent is controlled by the values contained
in the PATROL SNMP Master Agent configuration file. The SNMP Master Agent
configuration file is found in the following locations:
Unix$PATROL_HOME/lib/snmpmagt.cfg
Windows NT%PATROL_HOME%\lib\snmpmagt.cfg
Figure 11 on page 18 shows the snmpmagt.cfg file text:
Figure 11 PATROL SNMP Master Agent Configuration File
The PATROL Agent SNMP Support Variables
There are two PATROL Agent configuration variables that need to be on for the SNMP
support to start with the PATROL Agent. The /snmp/agent_auto_start variable must be set to
yes for Windows NT and Unix, and the /snmp/masteragent_auto_start variable must not be set
to no on Unix.
Table 12 describes the PATROL Agent configuration variables for starting SNMP support:
For more information on the PATROL Agent configuration variables see PATROL Agent
SNMP Configuration Variables on page 46.
Table 12 Variables for Starting SNMP with the PATROL Agent
Variable Description
/snmp/agent_auto_start Controls whether SNMP sub-agent is started when the Agent starts.
The default is yes.
/snmp/masteragent_auto_start Whether the SNMPStart parameter should automatically start the SNMP Master Agent.
The SNMPStart parameter is defined within each platform.km the parameter checks to see if
the SNMP Master Agent is running, and if it is not, it attempts to start it.
The NT.KM executes the following PSL script for the SNMPStart parameter:
requires SNMP_lib;
#
# Attempt to start the SNMP subagent.
# If it fails, attempt to start the
# SNMP master agent.
#
if (snmp_agent_start() == "ERR") {
master_agent_start();
}
The master_agent_start() function is a function in the SNMP_lib PSL library that starts the
SNMP Master Agent.
A value of no prevents the SNMP Master Agent from starting. If the variable has any other value or
does not exist, the SNMP Master Agent starts when it is started by the SNMPStart parameter.
PATROL Agent SNMP Interested Managers
For SNMP support (trap listening) to be active in PATROL, you must enter the SNMP
Manager as one of the interested managers in the piV1mTable. The list of interested managers
is stored in the PATROL Agent configuration variable /snmp/piV!m_list.
Table 13 describes the PATROL Agent configuration variable for specifying the list of
interested managers for PATROL SNMP traps:
For more information on the PATROL Agent configuration variables see PATROL Agent
SNMP Configuration Variables on page 46.
Table 13 The List of Interested Managers for SNMP Traps with the PATROL Agent
Variable Description
/snmp/piV1m_list The list of SNMPV1 managers that are interested in getting automatic SNMP traps from the Agent
Each SNMP manager listed here is entered in the piV1mTable in the Management Information
Base (MIB). The piV1mTable is the dynamic register of interested SNMP managers. Changes made
to this variable take effect without having to restart the Agent.
The default is that no managers get SNMP traps. Managers are entered in the form
hostname/port/
community. If port or community is omitted, the defaults are 162 and public, respectively.
Entries must be separated by commas.
Variables for Configuring the Agent with SNMP
You configure the Agent to run with SNMP by changing the appropriate variable. Table 14
shows each part of the process for configuring the Agent to run with SNMP and lists the
section that contains information about the variable that must be changed.
When Configuration Changes Take Effect
Table 15 shows when changes made to the PATROL SNMP Master Agent configuration file
take effect.
Changes made to the PATROL SNMP Master Agent configuration file are permanent; that is,
the changes remain in effect regardless of how many times the PATROL SNMP Master Agent
is shut down and restarted.
Table 14 Configuring the Agent to Run with SNMP
You Want to Find the Variable in This Section
Set the port number and community name
for the PATROL SNMP Master Agent
Listening for SNMP Traps on page 34
Turn on the SNMP support variable. Changing Whether SNMP Is Started with Agent on page 54
/snmp/agent_auto_start
Add the SNMP manager to the list of
interested SNMPV1 managers.
Changing SNMPV1 Managers That Get SNMP Traps from the Agent on
page 52
/snmp/PiV1m_list
Configure events to send SNMP traps. Changing the Events That Trigger SNMP Traps on page 50
standard or custom event catalog
Table 15 When Changes to the Agent Configuration Take Effect
Operating
System When Changes Take Effect
Unix when the SNMP Master Agent is restarted
All non-Unix after you restart the PATROL SNMP Master Agent
Testing Agent SNMP Trap Sending
Testing is the next step after the PATROL SNMP Agent is configured correctly to send SNMP
traps. The options for testing involve watching for outcoming SNMP traps.
SNMP manager consolecheck to see if it is receiving the traps as configured.
Agent self-testingrun a PSL script in the Agent to receive its own traps and print them.
The logic involving SNMP trap receiving can be used in this way, such as PSL
snmp_trap_listen() and snmp_trap_receive(). Essentially, this procedure sets
up the PATROL Agent as an SNMP Agent.
For more information on the PSL snmp_trap_listen() and snmp_trap_receive()
functions, refer to the PATROL Script Language Reference Manual.
The PATROL MIB
The MIB in PATROL is a set of tables that are dynamically built as the agent loads KMs and
discovers the instances. Since the PATROL discovery is a dynamic process that sometimes
happens on a user request, the ids of the applications in the MIB will probably be different
each time the PATROL Agent starts.
The following components of the PATROL MIB tree are discussed in this section:
objects table
variables table
applications table
instances table trap table
trap table
PATROL MIB TreeObjects Table
The PATROL MIB object table contains all the nodes from the PATROL Agent namespace
starting from the path defined as the objects current working directory (objectsCwd).
Figure 16 shows the basic structure of the PATROL MIB objects table:
Figure 16 The PATROL MIB Tree Objects Table
PATROL MIB TreeVariables Table
The PATROL MIB varaible table contains all the leaves from the PATROL Agent namespace
starting from the path defined as the objects current working directory (objectsCwd).
Figure 17 shows the basic structure of the PATROL MIB variables table:
Figure 17 The PATROL MIB Tree Variables Table
PATROL MIB TreeApplications Table
The PATROL MIB applications table contains all the applications loaded on the PATROL
Agent.
Figure 18 shows the basic structure of the PATROL MIB applications table:
Figure 18 The PATROL MIB Tree Applications Table
The PATROL MIB application tables can be accessed to find out what applications are loaded
on the PATROL Agent. Figure 19 shows how the PSL snmp_walk() function can be used to
print the entries in the PATROL MIB applications table:
Figure 19 The PATROL MIB Tree Applications Example
PATROL MIB TreeInstances Table
The PATROL MIB instances table contains all the application instances that have been
discovered by the PATROL Agent.
Figure 20 shows the basic structure of the PATROL MIB instances table:
Figure 20 The PATROL MIB Tree Instances Table
The PATROL MIB instance table can be accessed to find out what instances of an application
have been discovered by the PATROL Agent. Figure 21 shows how the PSL snmp_walk()
function can be used to print the instances of an application in the PATROL MIB instance
table (all the instances for the PRINTER application):
Figure 21 The PATROL MIB Tree Instances Example
PATROL MIB TreeTrap Table
Figure 22 shows the basic structure of the PATROL MIB trap table:
Figure 22 The PATROL MIB Tree Trap Table
Figure 23 shows the format of the SNMP traps sent by PATROL:
Figure 23 The PATROL MIB Tree Trap Example
PATROL MIB TreeEnterprise Traps
Figure 24 shows the PATROL MIB enterprise traps:
Figure 24 The PATROL MIB Enterprise Traps
Using PSL to Control PATROL and SNMP 25
This section tells you how you can use PSL to control how the PATROL SNMP Master Agent
and the Agent interact with SNMP.
The following are the primary groups of PSL functions for SNMP:
listening for traps
sending traps
starting and stopping the SNMP sub-agent
getting and setting Management Information Base (MIB) variables
changing the registered SNMP manager list
debugging
PSL functions allow you to manage a number of processes, including starting and stopping
the PATROL SNMP Sub-Agent and changing the list of registered SNMP managers.
Some of these PSL functions are briefly described in this section. Refer to the PATROL Script
Language Reference Manual for detailed information about all PSL functions for SNMP.
There is a sample PATROL Knowledge Module SNMP_test.km that demonstrates how to use
PSL with PATROL and SNMP. It is available on the BMC Software Developer Connection
(DevCon) Web Site at http://devcon.bmc.com.
Listening for SNMP Traps
During trap listening, the PATROL Agent works as an SNMP manager. Table 26 lists the
function to use for the task you want to perform.

Sending SNMP Traps
During trap sending, the PATROL Agent works in an SNMP agent role. Table 27 lists the

Starting and Stopping the SNMP Sub-Agent
You can stop, restart, and request the current state of the Agent using PSL functions. Table 28
lists the function to use for the task you want to perform.

Table 26 Functions for Trap Listening
Task to be Performed PSL Function to Use
close a trap socket and ignore all unprocessed and/or
arriving traps
snmp_trap_ignore()
capture the arriving traps snmp_trap_receive()
start accumulating incoming traps snmp_trap_listen()
Table 27 Functions for Sending Traps
Task You Want to Perform PSL Function to Use
send any traps to any given SNMP manager snmp_trap_send()
send the trap patrolTrapV1Raised, with
patrolTrapText.0 in a packet, to all entities registered in
the prV1mTable
snmp_trap_raise_std_trap(text)
Table 28 Functions for Starting and Stopping the SNMP Agent
request the current state of the SNMP Sub-Agent snmp_agent_config()
restart the SNMP Sub-Agent snmp_agent_start()
stop the SNMP Sub-Agent snmp_agent_stop()
Getting and Setting MIB Variables
The PATROL Agent can act as an SNMP Manager by getting and setting variables inside
SNMP agents through PSL functions. Table 29 lists the function to use for the task you want
to perform.

Note
snmp_h_* functions use port 161 and cannot be configured to use a
different port.
Table 29 Functions for Getting and Setting MIB Variables
close the session with SNMP agent snmp_close()
list SNMP sessions that are currently open, return default
parameters for a specific snmp session, or alter the default
settings for an SNMP session
snmp_config()
fetch MIB variables from an SNMP agent snmp_get(), snmp_get_next(), or snmp_walk()
You can also use snmp_h_* functions. The snmp_h_*
functions accept host name instead of session and
automatically open and close the session.
open a session to an SNMP agent by locating the host and
creating an internal structure with default information
snmp_open()
set MIB variables snmp_set()
You can also use snmp_h_* functions. The snmp_h_*
functions accept host name instead of session and
automatically open and close the session.
Using PSL to Change the Registered SNMP Manager List
The list of registered SNMP Managers is contained in the PiV1mTable. Table 30 lists the
Debugging PSL Functions for SNMP
Use the snmp_debug (flags) function to debug the PSL you write. The snmp_debug (flags)
function accepts a binary flag (0, 1, 2, or 3) that activates PSL SNMP debugging features. It
returns the old settings or NULL indicating an error. Table 31 lists the function to use for the
task you want to perform.
Table 30 Functions for Changing the Registered SNMP Manager List
add an SNMP Manager to the list snmp_agent_register_im()
delete an SNMP manager from the list snmp_agent_register_im()
print the list of SNMP Managers snmp_agent_register_im()
Table 31 Functions for Debugging PSL Functions
Task You Want to Perform snmp_debug (flags) Function to Use
dump all in/out packets on stdout when the agent is in
no-daemon mode
snmp_dump_packet (1)
get error information that may not be reported to the console
window, such as timeouts
snmp_report_error (2)
Interpreting Error Messages from PSL Functions
Table 32 describes global error messages for PSL functions for SNMP. They are considered
global because any SNMP PSL function can generate one of these messages.
When an error occurs, the user does not see any of the error messages in Table 32. A user sees
nothing since all SNMP PSL functions return the NULL string after encountering an error. A
user can determine which error occurred most recently by displaying or printing the value of
the PATROL PSL error variable. This variable holds an integer that corresponds to one of the
error messages above.
The PATROL Script Language Reference Manual provides more information on working with
error messages.
Table 32 Global Error Messages for SNMP PSL Functions
Error Message Description
E_PSL_BAD_FUNCTION_PARAMETER A function fails to parse a parameter, which could be
caused, for example, by a bad address or trap definition.
E_PSL_SNMP_ERROR A function tries to send or receive an invalid packet to or
from another SNMP entity.
E_PSL_SNMP_NOT_SUPPORTED SNMP support is turned off.
NULL If an error occurs, a function returns a null string or .
Using SNMP to Send Traps 33
This section discusses several methods of using the SNMP support in a PATROL environment
to send traps and problem notification to other SNMP management consoles, to receive and
handle traps within the PATROL Agent, and to gather PATROL data from the PATROL MIB
static tables.
Methods of Sending SNMP Traps
Sending SNMP traps to an SNMP management console is a common method for the
notification of critical events detected in the PATROL environment. SNMP traps can also be
sent to a number of third-party products.
These are methods of sending SNMP traps in the PATROL Agent:
using the agent to send a SNMP trap based on TRAP_SEND and NO_TRAP settings in
event definitions
using the PATROL Script Language (PSL) to send an SNMP trap
Table 34 compares the differences between the SNMP trap sending methods.
Table 34 Comparing Methods for Sending Traps
SNMP Trap Features PEM Traps PSL Traps
requires configuration of out-of-box
install
yes yes
any trap format possible no yes
enterprise OID can be changed no yes
different OID possible for each KM
class
no yes
trap message can be
configured/changed
no yes
number of different trap formats
possible
two unlimited
methods of controlling format of these
traps
event catalog settings and Agent
configuration
PSL coding, almost unlimited options
situations causing trap sending generation of an event in the
associated event class
any method of PSL execution
PATROL Event Manager and SNMP Traps
The PATROL Event Manager (PEM) associates the individual SNMP trap configuration
settings with each event class. This applies to both the Standard Event Catalog and any
application-specific event catalog created for a KM.
For each event class, the settings of NO_TRAP or SEND_TRAP has been added to specify
whether the agent will send an SNMP trap when the event is created. This allows more
control over the number of SNMP traps and causes of SNMP traps. However, you have little
control over the format of the SNMP traps. For example, you can not control the
event-specific sub ID, or the enterprise ID used.
Standard Event Classes
Table 35 lists all the standard event classes. These event classes can be useful for sending
SNMP traps in other situations, such as a console disconnecting.
Table 35 Standard Event Classes for Sending SNMP Traps (Part 1 of 2)
Event Class Meaning
RegApp New KM class is now registered and running in the agent (e.g. When a new console connects
requesting the KMs that it is interested in viewing).
UpdAppState new or updated application state.
WorstApp This application now has the worst state of all applications in the agent.
UpdParState new or updated parameter state.
UpdInstState new or updated instance state.
UnregAllApp Unregister all applications.
UpdMachineState new or updated state for the entire agent (due to some change in the state of an application).
Diag Diagnosis event.
RemPsl Used by remote PSL execution.
Result Used by remote PSL execution.
PslSet Used for remote PSL set execution.
RemProcess Used in remote PSL file transfer and the API.
EventArchive Events have been archived.
Disconnect Console disconnected from agent.
Unload KM class was unloaded by agent.
R3FilterData Used by the SAP R/3 KM only.
1 Agents overall state has changed for this agent machine.
2 Worst application class name is provided in this event, when the agents state has changed.
3 Worst application instance name is provided in this event, when the agents state has changed.
4 Discovery has been started for a KM class.
5 Discovery has been disabled for a KM class.
6 agent and console have different version of a KM.
7 Successful connection to the agent by a user. (i.e. A normal console connection or one involving the
API or PSL remote functions).
9 Alarm is cancelled because the condition regarding the parameters violating its thresholds has
disappeared. In other words, the parameters value is no longer a bad value that causes an alarm, and
the parameter is going back to the OK state.
10 Recovery action has been executed for the parameter.
11 Parameter value has exceeded the alarm range thresholds. This will raise a warning or alarm state for
this parameter.
12 All recovery actions have executed and failed to resolve the problem. The parameter will stay in its
current state. Agent will not execute any more recovery actions for this parameter.
13 Suspended all parameters of this KM class.
14 or 15 Restarting all local and global parameters of the KM class.
16 Parameter description has been modified (i.e. KM editing) and the parameter state is reset to OK.
17 or 18 Global parameter has started.
19 Local parameter has started.
20 Parameter had bad output. For example, PSL set on value did not provide an integer to a graph or
gauge parameter.
21 Local parameter is suspended and will no longer run.
22 or 23 Global parameter is suspended and will no longer run.
24 Agent process cache cycle changed.
25 Agent process cache cycle changed.
26 or 27 Application discovery is disabled for this KM class.
28 Username/password were invalid to connect to the Agent (e.g. through the API or PSL remote
functions).
29 Internal agent or PEM failure of some type.
38 Parameters of a KM were restarted.
39 Parameter threshold was exceeded by parameter value. State change event.
40 PSL response-related event. Created when a PSL response function is launched by the agent.
41, 42, or 43 Information event. Placeholder for user-defined events. Not generated internally by the agent.
Table 35 Standard Event Classes for Sending SNMP Traps (Part 2 of 2)
Event Class Meaning
Configuring the Event Catalog for SNMP Traps
The times when an agent can send automatic SNMP trap is tightly controlled by the settings
in the Standard Event Catalog.
The Standard Event Catalog specifies which events send SNMP traps on the creation of the
event.
Table 36 lists the commonly used main event classes.
By knowing under which circumstances various events are generated, you can choose when
SNMP traps are sent. Table 37 maps common situations to the events that the agent creates.
Note
Some exceptions exist. For example, if a PSL set() directly changes the
status variable of a parameter to ALARM, this causes an UpdParState for
the state change, but not an alarm range threshold exceeded event of type
11.
Table 36 Event Classes Used in Sending SNMP Traps
Event Class Description
UpdParState Update status of a parameter.
UpdInstState Update status of an instance.
UpdAppState Update status of an application class.
9 Parameter alarm cancelled, the exception no longer exists.
11 Parameter value exceeds the alarm range threshold value.
Table 37 Events Created by an Agent State Change
Agent State Change Situation Event Class Created
parameter changes state from OK to WARN/ALARM UpdParState and 11
parameter changes from WARN/ALARM to OK UpdParState (but not 9)
instance changes state from OK to WARN/ALARM UpdInstState
instance changes state from WARN/ALARM to OK UpdInstState
application class state changes (any) UpdAppState
Altering Event Classes for Trap Notification
Table 38 lists the most commonly used event classes for trap notification about state changes.
Configuring the List of Recipients for SNMP Traps
The recipient list of SNMP traps is set in the agent configuration. The /snmp/piV1m_list
variable contains a comma separated list of hostnames and/or IP addresses, which represent
SNMP trap destinations. For more information on changing the /snmp/piV1m_list
variable, see Changing SNMPV1 Managers That Get SNMP Traps from the Agent on page
52.
Note
This list of trap destinations does not affect the recipients of SNMP traps
sent by PSL snmp_trap_send().
Table 38 Most Common Event Classes for Trap Notification
Event Class Purpose Standard Event Catalog Trap Settings
UpdParState new or updated parameter state NO_TRAP
UpdInstState new or updated instance state NO_TRAP
UpdAppState new or updated application state NO_TRAP
UpdMachineState new or updated state for entire agent NO_TRAP
9 alarm is cancelled, parameter back to OK SEND_TRAP
11 parameter exceeds threshold; triggered alert SEND_TRAP
Configuring the Agent for SNMP Trap Sending
In order to use the agent to send SNMP traps you must enable them in the agent
configuration. Table 39 lists the configuration variables used for sending SNMP traps.
Table 39 Configuration Variables Used for Sending SNMP Traps (Part 1 of 2)
Agent Configuration Variable Purpose
/snmp/masterAgentStartLine starts the PATROL SNMP Master Agent
/snmp/masterAgentWorkingDir directory for the PATROL SNMP Master Agent
/snmp/agent_auto_start starts the SNMP sub-agent support when the PATROL Agent starts
It requires that the PATROL SNMP Master Agent be running in order to
successfully complete.
/snmp/masteragent_auto_start whether to automatically start SNMP Master Agent
Available only to the agent on Unix. A no value prevents the SNMP Master Agent
from starting. If the variable does not exist, the SNMP Master Agent should start.
/snmp/agent_r_community reads community string for PATROL SNMP Master Agent operations
/snmp/agent_w_community writes community string for PATROL SNMP Master Agent operations
/snmp/sysName value of MIB-II system.sysName
/snmp/sysContact value of MIB-II system.sysContact
/snmp/sysLocation value of MIB-II system.sysLocation
/snmp/trapConfTable whether to issue SNMP traps to managers of the pre-configured list in the
PATROL SNMP Master Agent configuration file
/snmp/trapMibTable whether to issue SNMP traps to managers of the pre-configured list in the
PATROL SNMP Master Agent configuration file
/snmp/masterAgentName name of the PATROL SNMP Master Agent executable file
/snmp/masterAgentDir directory containing the PATROL SNMP Master Agent executable file
/snmp/masterAgentConfigName name of PATROL SNMP Master Agent configuration file
/snmp/masterAgentConfigDir directory containing the PATROl SNMP Master Agent configuration file
/snmp/masterAgentParamName name of PATROL SNMP Master Agent nonvolatile information file
/snmp/masterAgentParamDir directory containing the PATROL SNMP Master Agent nonvolatile information file
/AgentSetup/localPortForRemoteOpen contains the local UDP port-number for the agent
The PSL remote_open() function uses this information to work through a firewall.
If this variable is not set (the default), the system chooses an arbitrary port to
use. This port must not be the same as the agents main port. For more about
remote_open(), see the PATROL Script Language Reference Manual.
/AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpNode node where the event occurred
/AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpNSeverity severity level that triggers SNMP traps
/AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpOrigin application where the event occurred
/AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpEidRange range of event IDs to filter
/AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpEvClass event class to filter
/AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpStartTime start time
/AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpEndTime end time
Note
Pay special attention to the SNMP listening port that controls access to
the PATROL SNMP Sub-Agent from an external SNMP Manager(s).
This port is not set by the snmp/master_agent_port variable or, for that
matter, any agent configuration variable. Instead it is defined in the
SNMP Master Agent configuration file,
$PATROL_HOME/lib/snmpmagt.cfg.
For more information on the variables contained in the agent configuration, see PATROL
Agent SNMP Configuration Variables on page 46 for more information on changing the
agent configuration see the PATROL Agent Reference Manual.
/AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpPattern pattern to filter in the description of the event
/AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpTypeMask type tags
/AgentSetup/pemSnmpSupport whether PEM triggers SNMP events
/AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpStatusMask status tags
/AgentSetup/pemIssueV31traps whether PATROL uses version 3.1 formats to send SNMP traps
/AgentSetup/pemIssueV30traps whether PATROL uses version 3.0 formats to send SNMP traps
/AgentSetup/snmpConfigAccess whether SNMP support can write to the configuration database
/snmp/accessControlList list of hosts for SNMP
/snmp/support whether SNMP support is available
/snmp/piV1m_list list of SNMPV1 managers to receive automatic state-change SNMP traps from
the PATROL Agent
/snmp/mibFileName MIB file that the PATROL Agent loads for PSL SNMP management functions
/snmp/trap_port UDP port number for SNMP trap listening
/snmp/default_r_community default community name for SNMP get and getnext operations in PSL
/snmp/default_w_community default community name for SNMP set operations in PSL
/snmp/default_retries number or retries for PSL and SNMP operations
/snmp/default_timeout timeout value in milliseconds for PSL and SNMP operations
Table 39 Configuration Variables Used for Sending SNMP Traps (Part 2 of 2)
Agent Configuration Variable Purpose
PATROL Agent SNMP Configuration
Variables 40
The PATROL Agent configuration variables are set in the PATROL configuration file
(config.default). The PATROL Agent configuration file is located in the following directories:
Unix$PATROL_HOME/lib/config.default
Windows NT%PATROL_HOME%\lib\ config.default
The config.default file is a text file that lists and defines the PATROL Agent configuration
values. The Figure 41 shows the format for setting values in the PATROL configuration file:
Figure 41 PATROL Agent Configuration File Example
"/snmp/support" = { REPLACE="yes" },
"/snmp/agent_auto_start" = { REPLACE="yes" },
"/snmp/default_port" = { REPLACE="161" },
"/snmp/master_agent_port" = { REPLACE="1161" },
"/snmp/trap_port" = { REPLACE="162" },
"/snmp/sysName" = { REPLACE = "unknown" },
"/snmp/sysContact" = { REPLACE = "http://www.bmc.com" },
"/snmp/sysLocation" = { REPLACE = "BMC Software Inc." },
"/snmp/piV1m_list" = { REPLACE="" },
"/snmp/support" = { REPLACE="yes" },
"/snmp/agent_auto_start" = { REPLACE="yes" },
"/snmp/default_port" = { REPLACE="161" },
"/snmp/master_agent_port" = { REPLACE="1161" },
"/snmp/trap_port" = { REPLACE="162" },
"/snmp/sysName" = { REPLACE = "unknown" },
"/snmp/sysContact" = { REPLACE = "http://www.bmc.com" },
"/snmp/sysLocation" = { REPLACE = "BMC Software Inc." },
"/snmp/piV1m_list" = { REPLACE="" },
Table 42 lists some of the more important PATROL Agent configuration variables for SNMP
support:
Items That Cannot Be Changed
Table 43 lists the values for those items that cannot be changed:
Table 42 Important SNMP PATROL Agent Configuration Variables
Variable Description Page
/snmp/support indicates if SNMP is turned on 1-51
/snmp/agent_auto_start indicates if the SNMP sub-agent is started when the Agent starts 1-55
/snmp/default_port the default port number that the PATROL Agent uses to open sessions with SNMP
agents
1-54
/snmp/master_agent_port the default listening port for the master agent (1161) 1-48
/snmp/trap_port the UDP port number for SNMP trap listening (162) 1-52
/snmp/sysName the value of MIB-II system.sysName 1-48
/snmp/sysContact The value of MIB-II system.sysContact 1-48
/snmp/sysLocation The value of MIB-II system.sysLocation 1-48
/snmp/piV1m_list the list of SNMPV1 managers that are interested in getting automatic SNMP traps
from the Agent
1-52
Table 43 Variables That Cannot be Changed
Item Variables
PATROL Agent Setup /AgentSetup/_name_
PATROL Agent setup type /AgentSetup/_type_
PATROL Agent tuning name AgentSetup/AgentTuning/_name_
PATROL Agent tuning type AgentSetup/AgentTuning/_type_
SNMP name /snmp/_name_
SNMP type /snmp/_type_
Changing the PATROL Master Agent Directory and Start
Line
BMC Software recommends changing the configuration information for the PATROL Master
Agent using PSL. For more information, refer to the PATROL Script Language Reference
Manual for the functions to use to change the PATROL Master Agent configuration.
You can control the working directory for the PATROL Master Agent and the start line
(command string) that starts the PATROL Master Agent. Use Table 44 to find the variable for
the item you want to change.
Table 44 Changing the PATROL SNMP Master Agent and Start Line (Part 1 of 2)
Item You Want to Change Variable to Change Additional Information
The command that is used on a Unix system to
start the PATROL Master Agent
/snmp/masterAgentStartLine This variable is for Unix platforms
only.
The working directory for the PATROL Master Agent
(contains the PATROL Master Agent executable file)
on Unix
/snmp/masterAgentWorkingDir This variable is for Unix platforms
only. This directory must contain
the start line for the PATROL
Master Agent on Unix.
Whether the SNMP Agent support (SNMP
sub-agent) is started when the PATROL Agent
starts.
/snmp/agent_auto_start No means dont start SNMP
sub-agent automatically on Agent
startup
Default: yes
The read community string for PATROL SNMP
Agent (PATROL Master Agent) operations
/snmp/agent_r_community Default: public
The write community strings for PATROL SNMP
Agent (PATROL Master Agent) operations
/snmp/agent_w_community Default: private
Default listening port /snmp/master_agent_port Default: 1161
The value of MIB-II system.sysName /snmp/sysName Default: unknown
The value of MIB-II system.sysContact /snmp/sysContact Default: http://www.bmc.com
The value of MIB-II system.sysLocation /snmp/sysLocation Default: BMC Software Inc.
Whether or not to issue SNMP traps to the
managers of the pre-configured list
(snmp_trap_register_in) in the PATROL Master
Agent configuration file.
/snmp/trapConfTable Default: no
Whether or not to issue SNMP traps to the
managers of the pre-configured list in the PATROL
Master Agent configuration file.
/snmp/trapMibTable Default: yes
Name of the PATROL Master Agent executable file. /snmp/masterAgentName This is used to build the start line.
Default: snmpagt
Name of the directory that contains the PATROL
Master Agent executable file.
/snmp/masterAgentDir This is used to build the start line.
Default: bin
Name of the PATROL Master Agent configuration
file.
/snmp/masterAgentConfigName This is used to build the start line.
Default: snmpagt.cfg
Name of the directory that contains the PATROL
Master Agent configuration file.
/snmp/masterAgentConfigDir This is used to build the start line.
Default: lib
Name of the PATROL Master Agent nonvolatile
information file.
/snmp/masterAgentParamName This is used to build the start line.
Default: NOV
Name of directory that contains the PATROL Master
Agent nonvolatile information file.
/snmp/masterAgentParamDir This is used to build the start line.
Default: log
Table 44 Changing the PATROL SNMP Master Agent and Start Line (Part 2 of 2)
Changing the Events That Trigger SNMP Traps
Use Table 45 to find the variable for the item you want to change.
Table 45 Variables for Events That Trigger SNMP Traps (Part 1 of 2)
Item You Want to
Change Variable to Change Additional Information
Node where the event
occurred
/AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpNode This variable is reserved for future use.
Severity level that
triggers SNMP traps
/AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpNseverity Only events that are at or above the specified level trigger
SNMP traps.
The default is 1.
Application where the
event occurred
/AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpOrigin Use for any origin (default).
Range of event IDs
you want to filter
/AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpEidRange Valid range values are as follows:
x reduced to the value of x
x/y any value between and including x and y
-/y any positive value equal to or less than y
x/- any positive value equal to or greater than x
where x is a positive cardinal value smaller than
xFFFFFFFF and y is any positive cardinal value smaller
than xFFFFFFFF (default value).
Event class you want
to filter
/AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpEvClass You can use either the exact match of an event class or
for any class (default).
Start time /AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpStartTime The string is of the form MMddhhmm[yy|yyyy] or for
any time.
End time /AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpEndTime The string is of the form MMddhhmm[yy|yyyy] or for
any time (default).
Pattern you want to
filter for in the
description of the
event
/AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpPattern For example, if you specify recovery, only events with a
description containing recovery will trigger SNMP traps.
Type tags /AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpTypeMask Valid type tags:
S (change status)
E (error)
W (warning)
A (alarm)
R (response)
I (information)
The default is all tags.
In the following example, only events of type ALARM or
WARNING trigger SNMP traps:
/AgentSetup/pemPF
SnmpTypeMask =
{REPLACE=A,W}
Whether PEM triggers
SNMP events
/AgentSetup/pemSnmpSupport If NO is selected, no SNMP trap are generated.
Changing Whether PSL Supports SNMP
Status tags /AgentSetup/pemPFSnmpStatusMask This variable specifies a comma-separated event status
mask string containing one or more status tags.
Valid status tags:
O (opened)
A (acknowledged)
C (closed)
E (escalated)
D (deleted)
The default is all status tags.
Whether PATROL
uses PATROL Version
3.1 formats to issue
SNMP traps
/AgentSetup/pemIssueV31traps If this variable is set to yes, the agent uses PATROL
Version 3.1 formats to issue SNMP traps. The 3.1 format
contains additional information that can be used by the
SNMP Management Station.
If both the /AgentSetup/pemIssue
V30traps variable and the /AgentSetup/pemIssue
V31traps variable are enabled, the agent sends two
SNMP flags.
Whether PATROL
uses PATROL Version
3.0 formats to issue
SNMP traps
/AgentSetup/pemIssueV30traps If this variable is set to yes, the agent uses PATROL
Version 3.0 formats to issue SNMP traps.
This variable is provided for backward compatibility.
Table 46 Variables for Whether PSL Supports SNMP
Item You Want to
Whether SNMP is turned
on
/snmp/support The default is yes.
Table 45 Variables for Events That Trigger SNMP Traps (Part 2 of 2)
Item You Want to
Changing SNMPV1 Managers That Get SNMP Traps from
the Agent
Changing the MIB File That the Agent Uses for SNMP
Changing Port Information for PSL SNMP Functions
Table 47 Variables for SNMPV1 Managers Receiving SNMP Traps
List of SNMPV1 managers that are
interested in getting automatic SNMP
traps from the Agent
/snmp/piV1m_list Each SNMP manager listed here is
entered in the piV1mTable in the
Management Information Base (MIB).
The piV1mTable is the dynamic register
of interested SNMP managers.
Changes made to this variable take
effect without having to restart the
Agent.
The default is that no managers get
SNMP traps. Managers are entered in
the form hostname/port/
community. If port or community
is omitted, the defaults are 162 and
public, respectively. Entries must be
separated by commas.
Table 48 Variables for the MIB File Used for SNMP
The MIB file that the Agent loads for
PSL SNMP management functions
/snmp/mibFileName The default is patrol.mib.
If no MIB file is specified, the agent
uses mib.txt.
Table 49 Variables for Port Information for PSL SNMP Functions
UDP port number for SNMP trap
listening
/snmp/trap_port The default is 162.
Changing Community Names for SNMP Operations
Table 50 Variables for Community Names for SNMP Operations
Community name for SNMP get and
getnext operations in the SNMP agent
support
/snmp/agent_r_community This community name should be the
same as the community name specified
for SNMP get and getnext operations in
the configuration file for the PATROL
Master Agent.
BMC Software recommends that you
do not change this default.
The default is public.
Community name for SNMP set
operations in the SNMP agent support
/snmp/agent_w_community This community name should be the
for SNMP set operations in the
configuration file for the PATROL
Master Agent.
The default is private.
Default community name for SNMP get
and getnext operations in PSL
/snmp/default_r_community This community name should be the
for PSL SNMP get and getnext
operations in the configuration file for
the PATROL Master Agent.
The default is public.
Default community name for SNMP set
operations in PSL
/snmp/default_w_community This community name should be the
for PSL SNMP set operations in the
configuration file for the PATROL
Master Agent.
The default is private.
Changing Retry and Timeout for PSL and SNMP
Operations
Changing Whether SNMP Is Started with Agent
Table 51 Variables for Retry and Timeout for PSL and SNMP
Number of retries for PSL and SNMP
operations.
/snmp/default_retries The default is 3 retries before the
operation fails.
Timeout value in milliseconds for PSL
and SNMP operations.
/snmp/default_timeout The default is 500 milliseconds.
Default port number which the PATROL
Agent uses to open sessions with
SNMP agents. See Getting and
Setting MIB Variables on page 1-35.
/snmp/default_port The default port is 161.
Table 52 Variables for Starting SNMP with the PATROL Agent
Whether SNMP sub-agent is started
when the Agent starts.
/snmp/agent_auto_start The default is yes.
Whether the SNMPStart parameter
should automatically start the SNMP
Master Agent.
/snmp/masteragent_auto_start Available only to the agent on Unix. A
no value prevents
the SNMP Master Agent from starting.
If the variable has any other value or
does
not exist, the SNMP Master Agent
should start.
Appendix A: ASN.1 53
Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN.1) standard syntax is a type declaration language,
adopted by SNMP to define MIB objects. To explore the SNMP MIB, a user can examine the
ASN.1 definitions to see the object type, access, and descriptions of MIB objects.
SNMP administrators study the ASN.1 files to determine the capabilities provided by private
MIB objects. While ASN.1 is a complex language, SNMP only uses a simple subset of the
ASN.1 syntax. SNMP uses ASN.1 to define the following objects:
branches
leaf objects
Branch Object Identifiers
Some SNMP objects have no value, and just serve as directories that contain other objects.
Branches are defined using the OBJECT IDENTIFIER statement:
myBranch OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { parentBranch 100}
The following table describes the elements of the branch definition:
Since each branch reference its parent branch, you can trace back through the ASN.1 file to
determine the parent of each branch until you reach the root internet branch.
Element Description
myBranch the name of the branch, or directory, that is created
OBJECT IDENTIFIER the ASN.1 keyword that identifies this as a branch
parentBranch the parent branch of the branch being created
100 the unique object identifier (OID) for the branch under the parent branch
Leaf Objects
With a branch the user can define more branches or leaf objects that have specific values. In
the object definitions the white space is ignored, but the definitions usually conform to a
particular style to make them more readable. The following syntax defines an SNMP object
with a specific value:
(objectname) OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX (syntax)
ACCESS (access)
DESCRIPTION (description)
::= { (parent) (number) }
The following table describes the elements of the object definition:
Element Description
(objectname) the official object name of the SNMP object
ASN.1 requires that all object names begin with a lower-case letter.
Usually, the name is a mixture of upper and lower case letters.
OBJECT-TYPE a required keyword that is always present in any leaf object definition
SYNTAX a required keyword that indicates the following token is the type of object
being defined
The SYNTAX defines the type of object which should not be confused with
the OBJECT-TYPE keyword that defines the type of ASN.1 declaration.
(syntax) the type of object
A variety of object can be defined. ASN.1 requires that all object types
start with an upper-case letter. See Object Syntax Definitions on page
57 for more information on objects.
ACCESS a required keyword that indicates the following token defines the access to
the object
(access) the access to the object
The access is usually one of the following values:
read-only
read-write
write-only
no-access
New access types have been added in recent versions of SNMP, but the
basic types apply to management software, and the new types are usually
not a concern to the administrator.
DESCRIPTION a required keyword that indicates the description follows
(description) the text description of the object that is used as commentary in the file
The description is a quoted string that can span multiple lines of the
ASN.1 file. The description is supplied by the designer of the SNMP
agent, and the description documents the MIB value supported by the
agent.
In addition to these required object definitions, an object can also have other keywords such
as STATUS, UNITS, or INDEX. These optional fields may or may not be used by a network
manager, depending on the network management software.
These ASN.1 definitions reflect the characteristics of values supported by the SNMP agent.
The SNMP agent characteristics are not changed by changes to the objects definition. For
example, you could change the name of the object without affecting the agent operation, and
it is common for a network administrator to make changes to an objects ASN.1 definition and
compile these changes into the management software.
Note
When making changes to a MIB object, the location of the object in the
MIB, that is defined with the ::= operator, cannot be changed. If you
make such a change to the ASN.1 file the network management software
will no longer be able to access the SNMP object.
Object Syntax Definitions
The SYNTAX part of an object declaration can be defined as various types. SNMP defines
certain basic types like the following:
Counters
Gauges
INTEGERS
DisplayStrings
IpAddress
TimeTicks
and a few others
There are also some other special considerations that apply to the SYNTAX definition:
integer syntax
derived object types
tables
(parent) the parent object container of the leaf object
This value, along with the object number, always follows a ::=
assignment character and is enclosed in curly braces. The value of parent
refers to some SNMP object previously defined with an OBJECT
IDENTIFIER statement. The parent name links the leaf object to its
branch, much like the way a file resides in a directory.
(number) a numerical identifier that uniquely identifies the object under the parent
Throughout the MIB the (parent) (number) combinations must be unique.
Element Description
Integer Syntax
The INTEGER type can be either a basic integer over a range of values, or an enumerated
type. For example, the following example associates specific enumerated values with an
SNMP INTEGER object:
myEnumObject OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX INTEGER
{
first(1),
second(2),
third(3),
fourth(4)
}
ACCESS read-only
DESCRIPTION An enumerated value
::= { parentObject 22 }
In this example, the value of myEnumObject can be an integer ranging from 1 to 4, where
each of these numbers has a tag that labels the specific value. This provides a way of
specifying an integer value by a more descriptive name. The management software than can
interpret the integer value as the tag that is assigned to the value which can provide more
meaningful information.
The INTEGER type can also be a raw integer representing a unit value of some type. In this
case, the integer is interpreted as a number rather than a label by the management software.
Derived Object Types
ASN.1 syntax allows you to define new types based on existing predefined types. For
example, the following statement derives a new type (NetworkAddress) from an existing type
(IpAddress):
NetworkAddress ::= IpAddress
After making such a declaration, anywhere that NetworkAddress is defined in the ASN.1 file,
the MIB compiler immediately substitutes the IpAddress type in its place. Types are often
derived from enumerated types to simplify the readability and programming of the ASN.1
file. For example, the following definition could be used:
MY EnumValue ::= INTEGER
{
first(1),
second(2),
third(3),
fourth(4)
}
After this definition, anywhere the MyEnumValue is found in the ASN.1 file the enumerated
value is substituted. Enumerated values are common, and these derived data type make
creating and reading the ASN.1 file easier.
Tables
SNMP tables have a special type statement. SNMP tables are identical to SNMP branches,
except that the objects contained in the table can be considered columns rather than scalar
objects. They also have a rigorous set of syntactical requirements. The following syntax
defines a table:
(tablename) OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX SEQUENCE OF (tabletype)
ACCESS not-accessible
::= { (parent) (number) }
(entryname) OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX (tabletype)
ACCESS not-accessible
::= { (tablename) 1 }
(tabletype) ::= SEQUENCE {
(column1) (column1type),
(column2) (column2type),
(columnN) (columnNtype), }
Fortunately, the syntax of the table can usually be ignored and a table definition can be
thought of as an idiosyncrasy of ASN.1 syntax. The following basic rules summarize ASN.1
tables:
By convention, each SNMP table contains a name incorporating the Table keyword. This
convention is almost universal. For example, the object myTable indicates that it is a
tabletype object.
Under each table is a single branch object with a name incorporating the Entry keyword.
Again, this convention is almost universal. For example, under myTable their will always
be a single branch containing table data with the name myEntry.
Within myEntry is a series of SNMP objects that are identical to the OBJECT-TYPE
definitions presented earlier, except the suffix of these objects will not necessarily be .0,
but may be simple or complex indexes to the table rows in dot notation.
These rules are not strictly enforced and cannot be counted on by the MIB compiler, but they
do give you a sound foundation to use when you are reading a MIB ASN.1 file.
Note
Unfortunately, many vendors do not follow ASN.1 syntax precisely in
their file definitions. Some obscure, but acceptable, syntactical ASN.1
variations will be difficult for network management software to handle,
and some editing of these files may be required before they can be
compiled into the management software.

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