Which protocol is used to monitor and manage network devices by sending data from agents to a central Network Management System?

Which protocol is used to monitor and manage network devices by sending data from agents to a central Network Management System?

• A. SSH
• B. SNMP
• C. FTP
• D. DNS

Answer: (B)

Monitoring and managing network devices from a central Network Management System relies on a protocol built for agent-based data collection. In this model, each device runs an agent that gathers status and performance information, and the central system (the manager) collects that data either by polling or through traps (unsolicited alerts) sent by the agents. This agent-to-manager communication, along with standardized data definitions via a Management Information Base (MIB), is the hallmark of SNMP, the Simple Network Management Protocol. SNMP supports ongoing monitoring and, when needed, basic management actions, which is why it’s used to feed data from devices to a central NMS. By contrast, SSH is for secure remote access, FTP for file transfer, and DNS for resolving domain names, none of which centers on the continuous, centralized monitoring and management flow SNMP provides.

Monitoring and managing network devices from a central Network Management System relies on a protocol built for agent-based data collection. In this model, each device runs an agent that gathers status and performance information, and the central system (the manager) collects that data either by polling or through traps (unsolicited alerts) sent by the agents. This agent-to-manager communication, along with standardized data definitions via a Management Information Base (MIB), is the hallmark of SNMP, the Simple Network Management Protocol. SNMP supports ongoing monitoring and, when needed, basic management actions, which is why it’s used to feed data from devices to a central NMS. By contrast, SSH is for secure remote access, FTP for file transfer, and DNS for resolving domain names, none of which centers on the continuous, centralized monitoring and management flow SNMP provides.