SNMP Master Agent Setup on CentOS 7.4 and Ubuntu 17.04

The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) serves as a highly popular and extensively employed protocol, enabling effective management and monitoring of network devices and systems. Discover the power of SNMP as it facilitates seamless control, analysis, and oversight, empowering administrators to ensure optimal performance and stability across their network infrastructure. It offers a standardized approach to gather and organize information about network devices, including routers, switches, and servers. This enables administrators to efficiently monitor and troubleshoot their networks.

In this blog post, we will delve into the process of setting up an SNMP Master Agent on two popular Linux distributions: CentOS 7.4 and Ubuntu 17.04. Both CentOS and Ubuntu are extensively used in various environments, emphasizing the significance of understanding SNMP configuration on these platforms.

By setting up an SNMP Master Agent, you can acquire valuable insights into the overall health and performance of your network infrastructure. SNMP allows you to monitor crucial metrics such as bandwidth usage, CPU utilization, memory consumption, and network errors, among others. These metrics play a pivotal role in identifying potential issues, planning capacity upgrades, and ensuring optimal network performance.

CentOS 7.4:

CentOS is a widely recognized Linux distribution that has gained popularity due to its stability, reliability, and long-term support. It is derived from the freely available source code of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), making it an excellent choice for individuals and organizations in need of a secure and dependable operating system.

CentOS 7.4, part of the CentOS 7 series, brings numerous enhancements, bug fixes, and updated software packages. With its mature and thoroughly tested environment, CentOS 7.4 is suitable for both production and development environments.

Key Features of CentOS 7.4:

• Stability and Long-Term Support: CentOS 7.4 offers long-term support, ensuring regular updates and security patches to maintain a stable and secure operating system.
• Compatibility: It maintains binary compatibility with RHEL, simplifying the migration of applications from RHEL to CentOS.
• Security: CentOS 7.4 adheres to strict security practices and incorporates robust security features, providing protection against vulnerabilities and threats.
• Package Management: The Yellowdog Updater, Modified (YUM) package manager is utilized in CentOS 7.4, enabling effortless installation, removal, and management of software packages.

Ubuntu 17.04:

Ubuntu is a user-friendly and widely adopted Linux distribution based on Debian. It has gained popularity due to its intuitive nature, regular release cycles, and extensive community support. Ubuntu aims to provide a powerful and accessible operating system suitable for desktops, servers, and cloud environments.

Ubuntu 17.04, code-named “Zesty Zapus,” was released in 2017 and introduced several notable features and improvements.

Key Features of Ubuntu 17.04:

• Latest Software: Ubuntu 17.04 includes updated software packages such as the Linux kernel, GNOME desktop environment, and various applications. This ensures improved performance and functionality.
• Unity 7 Desktop: The Unity desktop environment offers a sleek and modern interface with integrated search, a global menu, and intuitive navigation.
• Enhanced Hardware Support: Ubuntu 17.04 provides improved support for a wide range of hardware components, ensuring compatibility with the latest devices.
• Snappy Package Management: Ubuntu utilizes the Snappy package manager, which facilitates secure, transactional, and reliable software updates and installations.

Both CentOS 7.4 and Ubuntu 17.04 serve as reliable platforms for running SNMP Master Agents, offering robust support for various network management and monitoring tasks. In the subsequent sections, we will explore the process of setting up SNMP Master Agents on these operating systems.

SNMP Master Agent

The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is a widely adopted protocol specifically designed for the management and monitoring of network devices. SNMP operates on a manager-agent architecture, where the SNMP manager is responsible for gathering and analyzing data from SNMP agents running on various network devices.

An SNMP Agent refers to the software that runs on a network device, collecting and storing management information related to the device’s operation. This information is made available to the SNMP manager through a standardized set of variables known as Management Information Bases (MIBs). The agent acts as a repository for this data, allowing the manager to retrieve specific information or perform actions on the device.

Setting up SNMP Master Agent

To set up SNMP Master Agent on CentOS 7.4 and UBUNTU 17.04, follow these steps:

Step 1: Update System Packages

• Open a terminal or connect to your CentOS 7.4 and UBUNTU 17.04 server.
• Run the following command to update the system packages:

sudo yum update

Step 2: Install SNMP Packages

• Still in the terminal, install the necessary SNMP packages by running the following command:

sudo yum install net-snmp net-snmp-utils

Step 3: Configure SNMP Master Agent

• Open the SNMP configuration file using a text editor. For example:

sudo vi /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf

• Customize the configuration based on your requirements. Here are some common configurations to consider:
• Set the system contact and location:

syscontact YourContactInformation

syslocation YourLocationInformation

• Restrict SNMP access to specific hosts by adding the following line:

rocommunity YourCommunityString IP_Address/Netmask

• Enable SNMP traps by adding the following line:

trapsink IP_Address YourCommunityString

• Save and close the configuration file.

Step 4: Start SNMP Master Agent

• Start the SNMP service by running the following command:

sudo systemctl start snmpd

• To ensure that the SNMP service starts automatically at boot, run the following command:

sudo systemctl enable snmpd

Step 5: Test SNMP Functionality

• Verify that the SNMP Master Agent is working correctly by performing a test query. Run the following command to retrieve system information:

snmpwalk -v2c -c YourCommunityString localhost system

• If SNMP is configured correctly, you should see a list of system information values returned.

Conclusion

In conclusion, deploying an SNMP Master Agent on CentOS 7.4 and Ubuntu 17.04 unlocks a wide range of possibilities for network monitoring and management. It provides a standardized and comprehensive approach to collect, organize, and analyze vital information about network devices, empowering administrators to make informed decisions and optimize network performance.