SNMP



Learning Summary for the SNMPv1, SNMPv2, and SNMPv3

Summary

The three editions of an SNMP managed network i.e. namely SNMP v1, SNMP v2 and SNMP v3 serve the same purpose, but differ drastically in their mode of operation and variations in securit. There are a number of common features in both the variations SNMP v1 and SNMP v2 but the version SNMP v2 enhances protocol operations additionally. The addition of capabilities to previous versions like remote configuration and security comes with the SNMP version 3 (SNMP v3).

Key Points

In order to summarize the major points of the three versions of SNMP; every intricate detail must be analyzed and the differences should be noticed. They tend to deviate slightly from the simple format. For instance, SNMPv1 is indicated by a 0 in this field, and not a 1. The other field in the header the Community String. While, the Community String was how SNMPv1 initially addressed issues of security. A Community name can be considered as a password to an SNMP agent (SkillSoft, 2002). The encapsulated PDU makes up the other portion of the SNMPv1 message. The PDU specifies the operation to be performed and the object instances that the operation includes (Window Security, 2002).

Similarly, the simplicity of the general message format for SNMPv1 had a lot to do with its initial appeal unlike SNMPv2. It is essentially composed of two divisions: a simple header and an encapsulated Protocol Data Unit (PDU). The fields used to construct our message will belong to one of the supported types; application-wide data types and simple data types (Cisco, 2004).

SNMPv1 has been a huge success ever since its formation in 1988 as a short-term resolution to handle elements in the increasing Internet and other close networks (DPS, 2003). One of the largest flaws of version one is the security mechanism that was implemented. SNMPv1 uses a very loose form of user authentication known as a community name. A community name can be thought of as a sort of password for an agent running on a network managed device. From the packets of SNMP, the sniffing from ftp, rlogin, telnet and the like was as easy as password that is plaintext (SkillSoft, 2002). There has been some discussion that this major security vulnerability was knowingly delivered to keep the SNMP solution simple.

Major Differences

Despite a similar pattern of functioning, the three versions of SNMP different significantly from each other. ...