SNMP is a standard protocol for monitoring networked components. The SNMP is part of an internet protocol suite, defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
SNMP is employed by management systems to monitor networked components for conditions that need system administrative action. SNMP is of a suite of standards for network management that includes an application layer protocol, a database schema, and data objects.
To be managed, a device must have an SNMP associated agent. The agent manages requests for data representing a component's state and generates an appropriate response. The agent controls the component's state. Additionally, the agent generates SNMP traps (unsolicited messages to network management stations) to signal significant events relating to the component.
For more information, refer to SNMP specifications (RFCs 3410-3417) at: