In the visual management system of KVM, an important feature is the support for the SNMP protocol. So what protocol is SNMP and what is its purpose? 

The full name of SNMP is Simple Network Management Protocol, which is a set of network management protocols based on the Simple Gateway Monitor Protocol (SGMP).

Isn't listening to concepts a bit convoluted? Next, let's put it in simpler terms. In traditional network management, managers usually rely on CLI (command line interface) or web interface to manage devices one by one. In this situation, there are only one or two devices that are worth mentioning. If we increase the number to a dozen or so, the work of the management personnel will become very complex, and the brands and manufacturers of different devices will also be different. This means that for every additional device added, our management personnel need to master a new skill and learn seamless switching.

Is there a standard that can standardize this management? So SNMP emerged. SNMP adds a workstation role between administrators and multiple devices, where the workstation manages the devices uniformly, while administrators only need to operate the workstation.

But if we break down the architecture of SNMP, we will find that it not only includes "workstations (NMS)", but also roles such as "information base (MIB)" and "liaison officer (Agent)". When management personnel want to operate the device, they first send a request to the contact person (Agent) through the workstation (NMS). Next, the contact person (Agent) will search for relevant information in the information database (MIB) and provide feedback to the workstation (NMS), so that management personnel can obtain the desired data through the operating workstation (NMS).

SNMP can help administrators improve network management efficiency, discover and solve problems in a timely manner. At present, there are three versions of the SNMP protocol, and with the development of technology, it supports more and more types of devices, and its security is also becoming stronger.

The above is a brief principle of SNMP. Nowadays, SNMP covers almost all aspects of network management, and understanding SNMP helps us understand the workflow of the system, thus enabling better management and monitoring.