what is snmp? how is it used?

• what's snmp?

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is an "Internet-standard protocol for managing devices on IP networks. Devices that typically support SNMP include routers, switches, servers, workstations, printers, modem racks, and more. It is used mostly in network management systems to monitor network-attached devices for conditions that warrant administrative attention
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_Network_Management_Protocol

• Mibble MIB Parser

An open-source SNMP MIB parser library for Java.
http://www.mibble.org/download/stable/index.html

• MIB Browser Free Personal Edition

http://ireasoning.com/downloadmibbrowserfree.php

• IT organizations can typically rely on having access to management data from SNMP MIBs on network devices such as switches and routers. SNMP data, however, does not provide the network manager with information about the applications involved, the servers the data is coming from or the user to whom the data is being delivered. In addition, SNMP data does not provide any insight into such things as class of service, which is important for QoS management.

For more granular information, many organizations turn to NetFlow. Within NetFlow, a flow is defined as a unidirectional sequence of packets between a given source and destination. Flow-based analysis can then be used to perform tasks such as quantifying overall link utilization and identifying which network users or applications are consuming bandwidth. In particular, flow-based analysis contains information that gives the IT organization answers to questions such as:

    Where does the traffic originate? Who’s affected?
    What application is involved? Is it one of the critical applications that business managers care about?
    How much traffic has been transmitted?
NetFlow, however, has its limitations. For example, NetFlow cannot provide real-time insight into the operations of the network.
http://enterprise.netscout.com/The-Importance-of-Flow-Based-Monitoring

• MIB browsers equip you to keep tabs on your SNMP-enabled devices and to quickly troubleshoot issues before they affect your end users. Using an MIB browser to troubleshoot SNMP issues—for example, by querying SNMP variables on the devices you’re using, assessing response times, or checking whether a variable has been implemented at all—can help ensure all of your SNMP-enabled devices are available and functioning well at all times.

https://www.dnsstuff.com/mib-browsers