One additional purpose, which falls more or less under documentation, is that MIB files give a fairly good overview what exactly a SNMP agent on a device supports. On the other hand, this could be observed with snmpwalking the device?
regards, Martin On 7/8/15, Martin T <m4rtn...@gmail.com> wrote: > Stuart, > > yes, MIB files are a great way to look up for additional information > about a SNMP object. For example: > > $ gsed -n '/^ifName/,/^$/p' /usr/local/share/snmp/mibs/* > ifName OBJECT-TYPE > SYNTAX DisplayString > MAX-ACCESS read-only > STATUS current > DESCRIPTION > "The textual name of the interface. The value of this > object should be the name of the interface as assigned by > the local device and should be suitable for use in commands > entered at the device's `console'. This might be a text > name, such as `le0' or a simple port number, such as `1', > depending on the interface naming syntax of the device. If > several entries in the ifTable together represent a single > interface as named by the device, then each will have the > same value of ifName. Note that for an agent which responds > to SNMP queries concerning an interface on some other > (proxied) device, then the value of ifName for such an > interface is the proxied device's local name for it. > > $ > > > Is there any other purpose of MIB files in SNMP management stations? > > > regards, > Martin > > On 7/8/15, Stuart Kendrick <stua...@alleninstitute.org> wrote: >> Speaking from an operational perspective, I myself would add to your list >> 'documentation' -- i.e., when I want to better understand what a variable >> and its values mean, I read the relevant section in the MIB files. >> >> If they serve any other purpose, I would like to hear about it. >> >> >> As an aside regarding terminology, I try to use the following lingo: >> >> - Management Information Base (MIB): the collection of variables which >> the >> SNMP agent supports, typically chunked into discrete MIBs (e.g. IF-MIB, >> CISCO-STACK-MIB, LLDP-MIB ...) >> [The fact that the "sum of all the MIBs" supported by an agent comprise >> its >> "MIB" bothers me ... not my idea of clear terminology.] >> >> - MIB Files: the text files stored on the network management station >> which >> permit the station's SNMP libraries to perform the two functions you >> describe below. From an operational perspective, useful only to humans, >> for >> providing translation services between numbers and >> more-human-comprehensible-strings. >> >> hth, >> >> --sk >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Martin T [mailto:m4rtn...@gmail.com] >> Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2015 4:03 AM >> To: net-snmp-users@lists.sourceforge.net >> Subject: purpose of MIB files in SNMP management stations >> >> Hi, >> >> it is obvious that MIB's are important for network management stations as >> otherwise SNMP queries based on object names would not work. For >> example: >> >> $ snmpget -M /dir/that/does/not/exist -On -v 2c -c public 10.10.10.1 >> sysUpTimeInstance 2>/dev/null $ snmpget -M /dir/that/does/not/exist -On >> -v >> 2c -c public 10.10.10.1 >> .1.3.6.1.2.1.1.3.0 2>/dev/null >> .1.3.6.1.2.1.1.3.0 = Timeticks: (69843635) 8 days, 2:00:36.35 $ >> >> Another purpose of MIB's I can see is that they help to make sense of >> returned values. For example here I don't have Cisco MIBs installed and >> it >> is difficult to understand what "33939721.372808280" or >> "68690115.642234535" >> means: >> >> $ snmpwalk -Of -v 2c -c public 10.10.10.1 >> .1.3.6.1.4.1.9.9.166.1.17.1.1.9 | head -3 >> .iso.org.dod.internet.private.enterprises.9.9.166.1.17.1.1.9.33939721.372808280 >> = Counter32: 0 >> .iso.org.dod.internet.private.enterprises.9.9.166.1.17.1.1.9.68690115.642234535 >> = Counter32: 0 >> .iso.org.dod.internet.private.enterprises.9.9.166.1.17.1.1.9.68690115.724494656 >> = Counter32: 0 >> $ >> >> On the other hand, here I have required MIB databases installed and I can >> easily see that those entries represent interface names: >> >> $ snmpwalk -Of -v 2c -c public 10.10.10.1 .1.3.6.1.2.1.31.1.1.1.1 | head >> -3 >> .iso.org.dod.internet.mgmt.mib-2.ifMIB.ifMIBObjects.ifXTable.ifXEntry.ifName.2 >> = STRING: Null0 >> .iso.org.dod.internet.mgmt.mib-2.ifMIB.ifMIBObjects.ifXTable.ifXEntry.ifName.3 >> = STRING: MgmtEth0/RSP0/CPU0/0 >> .iso.org.dod.internet.mgmt.mib-2.ifMIB.ifMIBObjects.ifXTable.ifXEntry.ifName.4 >> = STRING: MgmtEth0/RSP0/CPU0/1 >> $ >> >> Is there any additional purpose of MIB files in SNMP management stations? >> >> >> thanks, >> Martin >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> Don't Limit Your Business. 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