RFC 1065 (rfc1065) - Page 2 of 21

Structure and identification of management information for TCP/IP-based internets

RFC 1065                          SMI                        August 1988


   architecture and system for managing TCP/IP-based internets and in
   particular, the Internet.

   This memo specifies a draft standard for the Internet community.
   TCP/IP implementations in the Internet which are network manageable
   are expected to adopt and implement this specification.

   Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

2.  Introduction

   This memo describes the common structures and identification scheme
   for the definition of management information used in managing
   TCP/IP-based internets.  Included are descriptions of an object
   information model for network management along with a set of generic
   types used to describe management information.  Formal descriptions
   of the structure are given using Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN.1)
   [1].

   This memo is largely concerned with organizational concerns and
   administrative policy: it neither specifies the objects which are
   managed, nor the protocols used to manage those objects.  These
   concerns are addressed by two companion memos: one describing the
   Management Information Base (MIB) [2], and the other describing the
   Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) [3].

   This memo is based in part on the work of the Internet Engineering
   Task Force, particularly the working note titled "Structure and
   Identification of Management Information for the Internet" [4].  This
   memo uses a skeletal structure derived from that note, but differs in
   one very significant way:that note focuses entirely on the use of
   OSI-style network management.  As such, it is not suitable for use in
   the short-term for which a non-OSI protocol, the SNMP, has been
   designated as the standard.

   This memo attempts to achieve two goals: simplicity and
   extensibility.  Both are motivated by a common concern: although the
   management of TCP/IP-based internets has been a topic of study for
   some time, the authors do not feel that the depth and breadth of such
   understanding is complete.  More bluntly, we feel that previous
   experiences, while giving the community insight, are hardly
   conclusive.  By fostering a simple SMI, the minimal number of
   constraints are imposed on future potential approaches; further, by
   fostering an extensible SMI, the maximal number of potential
   approaches are available for experimentation.

   It is believed that this memo and its two companions comply with the
   guidelines set forth in RFC 1052, "IAB Recommendations for the



Rose & McCloghrie