SNMP Configuration for DXi

Configure the DXi SNMP agent to collect and send traps, and to receive GET requests on port 161. In addition, you need to create SNMP communities to define manager-to-agent relationships, which include community strings to authenticate communication between the manager and agent.

See the following topics for instructions on configuring the DXi SNMP agent:

• Configuring SNMP Traps
• Adding Community Strings

The DXi does not provide the SNMP management client software. You must provide your own SNMP manager, and configure it on a host system to communicate with the DXi SNMP agent.

Refer to the documentation that came with your SNMP management client software for configuration instructions. To access the DXi MIB file for uploading into the SNMP management client software, see Viewing the DXi MIB File

GET Requests

The SNMP manager can periodically initiate GET requests to the MIB on the DXi. By querying the MIB, the SNMP manager can gather status information about specific components of the DXi.

However, because the SNMP agent is event-driven, frequent GET requests are not required, and in fact, we recommend limiting the frequency of GET requests. As with any SNMP device, excessive MIB queries can result in performance degradation for both the SNMP daemon and the network.

Instance ID

When you issue GET requests from the manager, include an instance ID to identify the specific device from which to retrieve status information.

Example

To determine whether the second partition on a DXi is online, access the MIB variable for the system online status and select the instance for partition 2.