DCImanager supports SNMP, NETCONF, SSH, Telnet, eAPI, Nx-API to manage switches, routers, PDU, and UPS. DCImanager receives information from devices through these protocols.

SNMP

SNMP overview

SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is the most widely used protocol.

Versions:

  • SNMP v1;
  • SNMP v2c;
  • SNMP v3.

SNMP 1 and 2 use password authentication (Community), which is sent explicitly. SNMPv3 uses MD5 and  SHA protocols and CBC_DES and CFB_AES_128 privacy protocols. DCImanager supports MD5 for authentication and DES for notification encryption. 

SNMP-notifications

An SNMP-protocol allows to collect statistics using SNMP-notifications. SNMP-notifications (SNMP-trap) are sent from a remote SNMP-enabled device to a central collector (DCImanager). SNMP-notifications are generated and sent when a certain event occurs with the equipment, such as activation or suspension of a port, user authentication, modification of the configuration files, etc. SNMP-notifications allow to reduce equipment load. 

How it works in DCImanager:

  1. The control panel starts a built-in daemon which receives SNMP notifications from the device.
  2. The daemon determines a device associated with the received notification , and sends it to the corresponding handler.
  3. The handler analyses the notification and updates the interface, if needed.

Currently DCImanager processes only activation/suspension of ports, because most manufacturers, including Cisco and Juniper, don't send SNMP-traps when a port mode or VLAN is changed. Changes that an administrator makes to VLAN and port numbers manually cannot be synchronized. However, if he changes the port mode or VLAN in the interface, the interface will show the up-to-date information. Even if you use SNMP traps, you can click the "Refresh" button in Equipment → Switches or Routers to request the  information from a switch.

NETCONF

NETCONF is a device network management protocol. It provides mechanisms for installation, management and deletion of network device configuration through a remote call of RPC procedures. Contents of NETCONF requests is a valid XML.

SSH

SSH is a network protocol which is used for remote access to equipment via an encrypted channel. Connect with credentials of the user of a remote device. A password or SSH-keys are used for authentication. 

Telnet

Telnet is a network protocol for remote access to server equipment. It uses less secure network services in comparison with SSH.

eAPI

eAPI is the interface which allows to access Arista equipment. It uses the HTTP protocol. Request contents is JSON.

Nx-API

Nx-API  is a  device network management protocol. It allows to access the equipment running through HTTP and HTTPS.