SNMPagenter

SNMPagenter is a software component that functions as an SNMP agent within a network management environment. It resides on a managed device and exposes management information to an SNMP manager by answering requests and, when configured, sending asynchronous notifications such as traps or informs. The agent presents data as Management Information Base (MIB) objects and may operate as a standalone entity or as part of a master-agent/subagent architecture, using the AgentX protocol to coordinate with subagents.

In typical deployments, the SNMPagent responds to standard requests such as Get, GetNext, and GetBulk, and may handle Set operations if write access is permitted. It maintains a local MIB database describing device resources such as interface status, CPU and memory usage, and configured services. The agent can support multiple MIB modules and can be extended with subagents to scale data collection or to add vendor-specific metrics.

Communication and security are governed by the SNMP protocol version in use. SNMPv1/v2c rely on community strings for access control, while SNMPv3 provides authentication and encryption through USM (User-based Security Model) and VACM (View-based Access Control Model). Administration typically involves configuring access control, security settings, and the specific MIB data exposed by the agent.

The term SNMPagenter is not a standardized, widely used specification, but is often used informally to refer to an SNMP agent component. In practice, SNMP agents are implemented by many platforms and products, including open-source stacks such as Net-SNMP, operating system services, and vendor network appliances.