NET-SNMP-AGENT-MIB

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Organization: www.net-snmp.org

Last Updated: 2010-03-17

Category: Net-SNMP and Linux

Description: Defines control and monitoring structures for the Net-SNMP agent itself, including active transactions, registered MIB modules, and data caching behavior.

IPNetwork Monitor uses several OIDs from this MIB in network discovery and polling the applicable devices. Start monitoring NET-SNMP-AGENT-MIB with a free 30-day trial of IPNetwork Monitor.

What Is NET-SNMP-AGENT-MIB?

NET-SNMP-AGENT-MIB is part of the open-source Net-SNMP project and defines control and monitoring structures for the Net-SNMP agent process itself, rather than for the underlying host hardware. It exposes objects covering the agent's OID result caching behavior (default timeout, per-entry cache status), debugging controls (enabling debug output, PDU dumps, per-token debug settings), and general agent metadata like version and registered MIB module tree. Its monitoring value is oriented toward software/service status of the SNMP agent daemon itself: administrators use it to verify the agent is running the expected version, to inspect or tune caching behavior affecting response freshness, and to enable targeted debug logging when diagnosing SNMP polling problems. It is a vendor-neutral, standards-adjacent MIB specific to the Net-SNMP implementation, with no dependency on other data MIBs beyond the base SNMPv2 framework. It is deployed wherever the Net-SNMP agent (snmpd) runs, which is common on Linux/Unix servers, network appliances, and embedded devices, and administrators searching for net-snmp-agent-mib documentation will find these objects registered under the agent's own MIB tree.

IPNetwork Monitor allows you to monitor SNMP objects defined in NET-SNMP-AGENT-MIB. Use the built-in SNMP Monitoring Browser to explore available variables, view their current values and descriptions, and select the objects you want to monitor. You can then create SNMP monitors, configure thresholds, and receive alerts when monitored values change.

Supported Devices

vendor-neutral, standards-adjacent MIB specific to Net-SNMP; applies to any Linux/Unix host or embedded device running snmpd

Monitoring Examples

An administrator troubleshooting stale SNMP responses would check nsCacheTable/nsCacheEntry entries for a given nsCachedOID, reviewing nsCacheTimeout and nsCacheStatus to see if a value is being served from cache longer than expected. To debug a misbehaving MIB implementation, they might set nsDebugEnabled and nsDebugDumpPdu to trace PDU processing, or use nsDebugTokenTable/nsDebugTokenEntry to enable debug output for a specific internal module only. Checking nsVersion confirms which Net-SNMP release is running, relevant when correlating behavior against known version-specific bugs.

What Can Be Monitored

agent cache timeout/status per OID
debug logging enable state
PDU dump/debug token settings
agent version
registered MIB module tree
cache enable/disable state

Imported Objects

From NET-SNMP-MIB

netSnmpGroups	OBJECT-IDENTITY
netSnmpModuleIDs	OBJECT-IDENTITY
netSnmpNotifications	OBJECT-IDENTITY
netSnmpObjects	OBJECT-IDENTITY

From SNMP-FRAMEWORK-MIB

SnmpAdminString

From SNMPv2-CONF

NOTIFICATION-GROUP
OBJECT-GROUP

From SNMPv2-SMI

Integer32
MODULE-IDENTITY
NOTIFICATION-TYPE
OBJECT-TYPE
Unsigned32

From SNMPv2-TC

DisplayString
RowStatus
TEXTUAL-CONVENTION
TruthValue

OIDs

OID symbolic	OID numeric	Type	Access	Description
nsVersion	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.1
nsMibRegistry	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.2
nsModuleTable	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.2.1		not-accessible	A table displaying all the oid's registered by mib modules in the agent. Since the agent is modular in nature, this lists each module's OID it is responsible for and the name of the module
nsModuleEntry	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.2.1.1		not-accessible	An entry containing a registered mib oid.
STR nsmContextName	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.2.1.1.1	SnmpAdminString	not-accessible	The context name the module is registered under.
OID nsmRegistrationPoint	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.2.1.1.2	OBJECT IDENTIFIER	not-accessible	The registry OID of a mib module.
INT nsmRegistrationPriority	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.2.1.1.3	INTEGER	not-accessible	The priority of the registered mib module.
STR nsModuleName	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.2.1.1.4	DisplayString	read-only	The module name that registered this OID.
BIT nsModuleModes	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.2.1.1.5	Bits	read-only	The modes that the particular lower level handler can cope with directly.
I32 nsModuleTimeout	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.2.1.1.6	Integer32	read-only	The registered timeout. This is only meaningful for handlers that expect to return results at a later date (subagents, etc)
nsExtensions	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.3
nsDLMod	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.4
nsCache	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.5
INT nsCacheDefaultTimeout	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.5.1	INTEGER	read-write	Default cache timeout value (unless overridden for a particular cache entry).
T/F nsCacheEnabled	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.5.2	TruthValue	read-write	Whether data caching is active overall.
nsCacheTable	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.5.3		not-accessible	A table of individual MIB module data caches.
nsCacheEntry	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.5.3.1		not-accessible	A conceptual row within the cache table.
OID nsCachedOID	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.5.3.1.1	OBJECT IDENTIFIER	not-accessible	The root OID of the data being cached.
INT nsCacheTimeout	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.5.3.1.2	INTEGER	read-write	The length of time (?in seconds) for which the data in this particular cache entry will remain valid.
NET nsCacheStatus	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.5.3.1.3	NetsnmpCacheStatus	read-write	The current status of this particular cache entry. Acceptable values for Set requests are 'enabled(1)', 'disabled(2)' or 'empty(3)' (to clear all cached data). Requests to read the value of such an object will return 'disabled(2)' through to 'expired(5)'.
nsErrorHistory	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.6
nsConfiguration	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.7
nsConfigDebug	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.7.1
T/F nsDebugEnabled	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.7.1.1	TruthValue	read-write	Whether the agent is configured to generate debugging output
T/F nsDebugOutputAll	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.7.1.2	TruthValue	read-write	Whether the agent is configured to display all debugging output rather than filtering on individual debug tokens. Nothing will be generated unless nsDebugEnabled is also true(1)
T/F nsDebugDumpPdu	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.7.1.3	TruthValue	read-write	Whether the agent is configured to display raw packet dumps. This is unrelated to the nsDebugEnabled setting.
nsDebugTokenTable	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.7.1.4		not-accessible	A table of individual debug tokens, used to control the selection of what debugging output should be produced. This table is only effective if nsDebugOutputAll is false(2), and nothing will be generated unless nsDebugEnabled is also true(1)
nsDebugTokenEntry	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.7.1.4.1		not-accessible	A conceptual row within the debug token table.
STR nsDebugTokenPrefix	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.7.1.4.1.2	DisplayString	not-accessible	A token prefix for which to generate the corresponding debugging output. Note that debug output will be generated for all registered debug statements sharing this prefix (rather than an exact match). Nothing will be generated unless both nsDebuggingEnabled is set true(1) and the corresponding nsDebugTokenStatus value is active(1).
ROW nsDebugTokenStatus	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.7.1.4.1.4	RowStatus	read-create	Whether to generate debug output for the corresponding debug token prefix. Nothing will be generated unless both nsDebuggingEnabled is true(1) and this instance is active(1). Note that is valid for an instance to be left with the value notInService(2) indefinitely - i.e. the meaning of 'abnormally long' (see RFC 2579, RowStatus) for this table is infinite.
nsConfigLogging	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.7.2
nsLoggingTable	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.7.2.1		not-accessible	A table of individual logging output destinations, used to control where various levels of output from the agent should be directed.
nsLoggingEntry	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.7.2.1.1		not-accessible	A conceptual row within the logging table.
INT nsLogLevel	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.7.2.1.1.1	INTEGER	not-accessible	The (minimum) priority level for which this logging entry should be applied.
STR nsLogToken	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.7.2.1.1.2	DisplayString	not-accessible	A token for which to generate logging entries. Depending on the style of logging, this may either be simply an arbitrary token, or may have some particular meaning (such as the filename to log to).
INT nsLogType	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.7.2.1.1.3	INTEGER	read-create	The type of logging for this entry.
INT nsLogMaxLevel	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.7.2.1.1.4	INTEGER	read-create	The maximum priority level for which this logging entry should be applied.
ROW nsLogStatus	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.7.2.1.1.5	RowStatus	read-create	Whether to generate logging output for this entry. Note that is valid for an instance to be left with the value notInService(2) indefinitely - i.e. the meaning of 'abnormally long' (see RFC 2579, RowStatus) for this table is infinite.
nsTransactions	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.8
nsTransactionTable	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.8.1		not-accessible	Lists currently outstanding transactions in the net-snmp agent. This includes requests to AgentX subagents, or proxied SNMP agents.
nsTransactionEntry	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.8.1.1		not-accessible	A row describing a given transaction.
U32 nsTransactionID	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.8.1.1.1	Unsigned32	not-accessible	The internal identifier for a given transaction.
I32 nsTransactionMode	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.1.8.1.1.2	Integer32	read-only	The mode number for the current operation being performed.
netSnmpAgentMIB	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.3.1.2			Defines control and monitoring structures for the Net-SNMP agent.
NTF nsNotifyStart	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.4.0.1			An indication that the agent has started running.
NTF nsNotifyShutdown	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.4.0.2			An indication that the agent is in the process of being shut down.
NTF nsNotifyRestart	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.4.0.3			An indication that the agent has been restarted. This does not imply anything about whether the configuration has changed or not (unlike the standard coldStart or warmStart traps)
nsModuleGroup	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.5.2.2			The objects relating to the list of MIB modules registered with the Net-SNMP agent.
nsCacheGroup	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.5.2.4			The objects relating to data caching in the Net-SNMP agent.
nsConfigGroups	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.5.2.7
nsDebugGroup	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.5.2.7.1			The objects relating to debug configuration in the Net-SNMP agent.
nsLoggingGroup	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.5.2.7.2			The objects relating to logging configuration in the Net-SNMP agent.
nsTransactionGroup	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.5.2.8			The objects relating to transaction monitoring in the Net-SNMP agent.
nsAgentNotifyGroup	1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.5.2.9			The notifications relating to the basic operation of the Net-SNMP agent.

RFC description

Provides control and monitoring structures for Net-SNMP agent configuration and data caching.

Start monitoring Linux/Unix host or embedded device running the Net-SNMP agent (snmpd) with a free 30-day trial of IPNetwork Monitor. Import MIBs, browse SNMP OIDs, create custom SNMP monitors, configure alerts, and monitor any SNMP-enabled network device from a single console.

Download NET-SNMP-AGENT-MIB

What Is NET-SNMP-AGENT-MIB?

Supported Devices

Monitoring Examples

What Can Be Monitored

This MIB depends on

Related MIBs

RFC description