RMON Enables Row Creation Deletion | Generated by AI
Question: Without modifying or violating the SNMPv1 management framework, what operations does the RMON specification provide?
Answer:
The correct answer is C: Row creation and row deletion operations.
Explanation:
- SNMPv1 Limitations: The original SNMPv1 framework (defined in RFC 1157) has significant limitations regarding table manipulation. While it supports
GET,GETNEXT,SET, andTRAP, it lacks a standardized, atomic mechanism for creating new rows in a table or deleting existing rows. TheSEToperation can modify individual cells, but ensuring the integrity of a whole row (e.g., creating all necessary columns simultaneously) is not natively supported in a robust way. - RMON Solution: The Remote Monitoring (RMON) specification (originally RFC 1271, later RFC 2819) was designed to work within the existing SNMPv1 framework without requiring changes to the core protocol. To overcome the table manipulation limitation, RMON introduced a set of textual conventions and procedural rules.
- Row Status: A key part of this solution is the concept of “Row Status” (often using an integer column to control the state of a row, such as
createRequest,active,destroy, etc.). This allows a management station to logically add (create) and delete rows in RMON tables (like theetherStatsTable) using standard SNMPSEToperations on specific control columns, adhering to the defined procedural rules. - Why other options are incorrect:
- A: Retrieving unknown objects is generally handled by
GETNEXT, which is part of standard SNMPv1, not a specific addition by RMON for this purpose. - B: Retrieving table objects is done via
GETNEXTin standard SNMPv1. - D: Setting or updating variable values is a fundamental
SEToperation in SNMPv1, not a new capability provided specifically by RMON to fix a framework gap.
- A: Retrieving unknown objects is generally handled by
Therefore, RMON specifically fills the gap for row creation and deletion (Option C).
References:
- RFC 2819: Remote Network Monitoring Management Information Base
- RFC 1157: Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)