snmpget

communicate with a network entity using SNMP GET requests

Syntax:

snmpget [-d] [-p port] [-r retry] [-t timeout] 
        -v 1 host community variable_name [variable_name]

snmpget [-d] [-p port] [-r retry] [-t timeout] [-v 2]
        host noAuth variable_name [variable_name]

snmpget [-d] [-p port] [-r retry] [-t timeout] [-v 2]
        host scrparty dstparty context variable_name 
        [variable_name]

Options:

-d
Dump input and output packets.
-p port
Specify the destination port number.
-r retry
Specify the number of retries.
-t timeout
Specify timeout (in seconds).
-v 1|2
SNMP version (default is 2).
community
The community name for the transaction with the remote system.
context
The collection of object resources that can be queried by the dstparty.
dstparty
The name of the party providing information.
host
An Internet address specified in dot notation or a hostname.
srcparty
The name of the party requesting information.
variable_name
The variable name in the format specified in the file mib.txt.

Description:

The snmpget utility uses the GET request to query for information about a network entity. You can specify one or more fully qualified object identifiers in the format specified in the file mib.txt.

If you're using SNMP version 2, the following files must be configured:

For a description on how to configure the files please see the ``Administrative model'' section in the SNMPv2 chapter, and the file page for each of the configuration files listed above. If you wish to change the location of your configuration files, you must include a snmpd.conf file.

Examples:

Retrieve the variables sysDescr.0 and sysUpTime.0:

Using SNMPv1

snmpget -v 1 netdev-kbox.cc.cmu.edu public system.sysDescr.0
    system.sysUpTime.0

Using SNMPv2

snmpget
    netdev-kbox.cc.cmu.edu manager_party agent_party agent_context system.sysDescr.0
    system.sysUpTime.0

The output is similar to:

Name: system.sysDescr.0
OCTET STRING- (ascii):   Kinetics FastPath2

Name: system.sysUpTime.0
Timeticks: (2270351) 6:18:23

Environment variables:

MIBFILE
Specify the location of the mib.txt file. For example, MIBFILE=path/mib.txt (the default path is /etc).
SUFFIX
If SUFFIX exists in your environment, all object IDs with a symbolic name will be printed with only the last element. Examples:

This ID:

system.syscontact.0

will be printed as:

syscontact.0

This ID:

udp.udpTable.udpEntry.udpLocalAddress.0.0.0.161

will be printed as:

udpLocalAddress.0.0.0.161

Errors:

If the network entity has an error processing the request packet, an error packet is returned and snmpget displays a message to help pinpoint how the request was malformed. If you've specified other variables, snmpget resends the request without the variable that caused the problem.

See also:

snmpd, snmpgetnext, snmpnetstat, snmpstatus, snmptest, snmptrap, snmptrapd, snmpwalk

/etc/acl.conf file, /etc/context.conf file, /etc/mib.txt file, /etc/party.conf file, /etc/snmpd.conf file, /etc/view.conf file

RFC 1065, RFC 1066, RFC 1067, ISO 8824 (ASN.1)

RFC 1441, RFC 1445, RFC 1446

RFC 1448, RFC 1449

Marshall T. Rose, The Simple Book: An Introduction to Internet Management, Revised 2nd ed. (Prentice-Hall, 1996, ISBN 0-13-451659-1)