Description: This object is an 'alias' name for the physical entity as specified by a network manager, and provides a non-volatile 'handle' for the physical entity.

On the first instantiation of an physical entity, the value of entPhysicalAlias associated with that entity is set to the zero-length string. However, agent may set the value to a locally unique default value, instead of a zero-length string.

If write access is implemented for an instance of entPhysicalAlias, and a value is written into the instance, the agent must retain the supplied value in the entPhysicalAlias instance associated with the same physical entity for as long as that entity remains instantiated. This includes instantiations across all re-initializations/reboots of the network management system, including those which result in a change of the physical entity's entPhysicalIndex value.