Partition-MIB

MIB Reference — IPNetwork Monitor · Updated October 06, 2026

All MIBs › Partition-MIB

Organization: Multiservice Switching Forum

Last Updated: 2023-02-01

Description: Multiservice Switching Forum MIB for network element partitioning, managing virtual switch configurations and port-level label and bandwidth allocations on GSMP switches

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What Is Partition-MIB?

Partition-MIB is a Multiservice Switching Forum (MSF) standards MIB for managing network element partitioning on GSMP (General Switch Management Protocol)-controlled switches, allowing a single physical switch chassis to be divided into multiple logical virtual switches. It exposes configuration data for switch port assignment, label type and label-range allocation, and bandwidth allocation per virtual switch partition, along with routing table size and switch-level performance parameters. Its monitoring value lies in tracking virtual switch configuration and capacity/performance status — how many ports, label ranges, and bandwidth resources are assigned to each partition and whether routing table capacity (numRoutingEntries/switchNumRoutingEntries) is being exhausted — which is important for detecting resource contention or misconfiguration across partitions sharing the same physical switch hardware. It is built for use with the MSF's GSMP switch control architecture rather than any single vendor's proprietary framework, though it is standards-based within that forum. It is typically deployed in service-provider ATM/MPLS core switches where multiple logical switch instances (vSwitches) run on shared switch fabric hardware under GSMP control, and this Partition-MIB reference is useful when correlating vSwitch capacity data across a partitioned chassis.

IPNetwork Monitor allows you to monitor SNMP objects defined in Partition-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-based MSF MIB, not tied to a specific manufacturer
  • GSMP-controlled ATM/MPLS switches supporting network element partitioning

Monitoring Examples

An operator managing a partitioned GSMP switch would poll switchPortConfigTable/switchPortConfigEntry to check switchPortConfigPortID, switchPortConfigPortLabelType, switchPortConfigNumBWs, and switchPortConfigNumLabelRanges for each port's virtual-switch assignment, alongside switchNumRoutingEntries to see how close a partition is to its routing table limit. A partition approaching its numRoutingEntries ceiling, or a port unexpectedly reporting switchPortAllowsSci as false, would signal a capacity or configuration issue affecting that logical switch's ability to route traffic correctly.

What Can Be Monitored

  • port-to-partition assignment
  • port label type
  • label range allocation
  • bandwidth allocation per port/partition
  • routing table entry count/capacity
Imported Objects

From INET-ADDRESS-MIB

InetAddress

From SNMPv2-SMI

Counter32
Gauge32
Integer32
IpAddress
MODULE-IDENTITY
OBJECT-TYPE
TimeTicks
enterprises

From SNMPv2-TC

PhysAddress
RowStatus
TEXTUAL-CONVENTION
TruthValue

How to Use in IPNetwork Monitor

Example using numRoutingEntries OID:

Select a device implementing Partition-MIB as the target host to create a monitor — the SNMP service should be up and running on it. Click New Monitor, then check SNMP Custom on the Favorites tab, click Next, and confirm the host. On the next page, click Select... to open the built-in SNMP MIB Browser and type numRoutingEntries into the Find box to locate it in the OID tree, then select it and click OK. The number of routing table entries of this switch. On the monitor's Main parameters page you can set the target's SNMP port (default 161), credentials, polling interval, and other settings — see the SNMP Monitor help for details. On the State conditions and Alerting tabs, configure when the monitor should change state and trigger an alert; since this is an INTEGER-type OID, Value bounds is the most useful condition here — trigger an alert if the count changes from its expected baseline, since that would indicate the underlying set of items changed unexpectedly. Click Finish to create the monitor; you can adjust any parameter later.
OIDs

RFC description

Defines network element partitioning management for GSMP switching architectures with label ranges and bandwidth configuration.

Start monitoring vendor-neutral, standards-based MSF MIB, GSMP-controlled ATM/MPLS switches (network element partitioning) 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 Partition-MIB