Configure PacketWise for SNMPv1-v2c Support

The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is a widely used method of monitoring computer networks. You can configure PacketWise to automatically send messages, such as event notifications or warnings of alarm conditions (such as Link Down), to any SNMP trap listener. Several PacketWise features (Adaptive Response and user events) can be configured to send SNMP traps; before you can do this, however, you need to configure an SNMP trap listener.

PacketWise can be configured to work with any standard SNMPv1 program, such as HP OpenView or Packeteer ReportCenter. To configure PacketWise for SNMP support, you need to specify one or more trap destinations (the IP address of an SNMP program).

Units running PacketWise 8.3.x will always respond to SNMPv1, v2 or v3 requests, regardless of the current SNMP configuration mode. The PacketShaper can send SNMPv1, v2 or v3 traps, depending on how the unit is configured.

Simple Mode vs Complex Mode

PacketWise has two SNMP configuration modes, simple mode and complex mode. In the default simple mode, the browser interface allows you to set and view values for SNMP look and touch community strings, trap destinations, and sysName, sysLocation and sysContact values. If you change the configuration mode to complex mode, you can only configure the SNMP sysName, sysLocation and sysContact settings via the browser interface. Note that simple mode and complex mode configurations are completely separate. When in simple mode, the PacketShaper will ignore any previously configured complex mode settings, and vice versa.

Warning: Complex mode configuration is only recommended for advanced users with previous experience working with SNMPv3, as this mode does not display error messages for incorrectly configured settings that can prevent SNMP from working correctly. Complex mode settings configured on a PolicyCenter configuration will not be inherited by PacketShapers assigned to its child configurations.

Note: To perform the following task from PolicyCenter, you must first select a configuration in the Configurations window. Then select the Setup tab from the right pane of this window, and proceed to step 2 of the procedure. Note that the SNMP sysLocation, sysName and sysContact settings for an individual PacketShaper cannot be configured via PolicyCenter.

Configuring a PacketShaper to support SNMPv1/v2c in simple configuration mode:

1. Click the setup tab.
   
   
2. From the Choose Setup Page list, select SNMP. The SNMP configuration and SNMPv1/v2 configuration settings appear on the Setup screen.  show screen
   
   
3. The SNMP Configuration section of this screen displays the PacketShaper's SNMP sysName. The default value for this setting is the unit's IP address, but you can change this setting by entering the unit's fully-qualified domain name in the SNMP sysName field.
   
   
4. In the SNMP sysLocation field, enter the physical location of the PacketShaper (room, floor, building). The location name can be up to 256 characters long.
   
   
5. In the SNMP sysContact field, enter the name of the person managing the unit. The contact name can be up to 256 characters long.
   
   
6. Click apply changes to update the SNMP Configuration settings.
   
   
7. In the SNMPv1/v2c configuration section, set the look (read) and touch (read/write) community strings used by SNMP for authentication. By default, the SNMP Look community string is set to public.
   
   
8. In the SNMP Trap Destination(s) field, enter up to eight SNMP trap destinations, specified as IP addresses (not DNS names), separated by spaces.
   
   
   
9. Click apply changes to update the SNMPv1/v2c Configuation settings.

See also:

SNMP Overview

Configure PacketWise for SNMPv3 Support