16.2.3 Binding the MIB MBeans

The SNMP adaptors do not interact with MBeans in the same way as the other connectors and adaptors. Because the SNMP data model relies on MIBs, only MBeans representing MIBs can be managed through SNMP. The SNMP adaptor does not interact with MBeans of a MIB through the MBean server, they must be explicitly bound to the instance of the SNMP adaptor.

After a MIB is instantiated, you must add the MIB to the SNMP adaptor by calling the setSnmpAdaptor method.

In the binding process, the SNMP adaptor obtains the root OID of the MIB. The adaptor uses this OID to determine which variables are implemented in the MIB's corresponding MBeans.

Even though the SNMP adaptors can be registered in the MBean server, the adaptor only makes MIBs visible to SNMP managers. Other MBeans in the agent cannot be accessed or even represented in the SNMP protocol. The SNMP manager is limited by its protocol: it cannot take full advantage of a Java dynamic management agent through the basic MIBs, and it does not have access to any other MBeans. In an advanced management solution, you could write a special MIB and implement it so that operations on its variables actually interact with the MBean server. This is left as an exercise for the reader.