IF-MIB

InterfaceIndexA unique value, greater than zero, for each interface or interface sub-layer in the managed system. It is recommended that values are assigned contiguously starting from 1. The value for each interface sub-layer must remain constant at least from one re-initialization of the entity's network management system to the next re-initialization. (1..2147483647) · Integer32 · hint d

A unique value, greater than zero, for each interface. It is recommended that values are assigned contiguously starting from 1. The value for each interface sub-layer must remain constant at least from one re-initialization of the entity's network management system to the next re- initialization.

DisplayStringRepresents textual information taken from the NVT ASCII character set, as defined in pages 4, 10-11 of RFC 854. To summarize RFC 854, the NVT ASCII repertoire specifies: - the use of character codes 0-127 (decimal) - the graphics characters (32-126) are interpreted as US ASCII - NUL, LF, CR, BEL, BS, HT, VT and FF have the special meanings specified in RFC 854 - the other 25 codes have no standard interpretation - the sequence 'CR LF' means newline - the sequence 'CR NUL' means carriage-return - an 'LF' not preceded by a 'CR' means moving to the same column on the next line. - the sequence 'CR x' for any x other than LF or NUL is illegal. (Note that this also means that a string may end with either 'CR LF' or 'CR NUL', but not with CR.) Any object defined using this syntax may not exceed 255 characters in length. SIZE (0..255) · OCTET STRING · hint 255a

A textual string containing information about the interface. This string should include the name of the manufacturer, the product name and the version of the interface hardware/software.

IANAifType1 = other2 = regular18223 = hdh18224 = ddnX255 = rfc877x256 = ethernetCsmacd7 = iso88023Csmacd8 = iso88024TokenBus9 = iso88025TokenRing10 = iso88026Man11 = starLan12 = proteon10Mbit13 = proteon80Mbit14 = hyperchannel15 = fddi16 = lapb17 = sdlc18 = ds119 = e120 = basicISDN21 = primaryISDN22 = propPointToPointSerial23 = ppp24 = softwareLoopback25 = eon26 = ethernet3Mbit27 = nsip28 = slip29 = ultra30 = ds331 = sip32 = frameRelay33 = rs23234 = para35 = arcnet36 = arcnetPlus37 = atm38 = miox2539 = sonet40 = x25ple41 = iso88022llc42 = localTalk43 = smdsDxi44 = frameRelayService45 = v3546 = hssi47 = hippi48 = modem49 = aal550 = sonetPath51 = sonetVT52 = smdsIcip53 = propVirtual54 = propMultiplexor55 = ieee8021256 = fibreChannel57 = hippiInterface58 = frameRelayInterconnect59 = aflane802360 = aflane802561 = cctEmul62 = fastEther63 = isdn64 = v1165 = v3666 = g703at64k67 = g703at2mb68 = qllc69 = fastEtherFX70 = channel71 = ieee8021172 = ibm370parChan73 = escon74 = dlsw75 = isdns76 = isdnu77 = lapd78 = ipSwitch79 = rsrb80 = atmLogical81 = ds082 = ds0Bundle83 = bsc84 = async85 = cnr86 = iso88025Dtr87 = eplrs88 = arap89 = propCnls90 = hostPad91 = termPad92 = frameRelayMPI93 = x21394 = adsl95 = radsl96 = sdsl97 = vdsl98 = iso88025CRFPInt99 = myrinet100 = voiceEM101 = voiceFXO102 = voiceFXS103 = voiceEncap104 = voiceOverIp105 = atmDxi106 = atmFuni107 = atmIma108 = pppMultilinkBundle109 = ipOverCdlc110 = ipOverClaw111 = stackToStack112 = virtualIpAddress113 = mpc114 = ipOverAtm115 = iso88025Fiber116 = tdlc117 = gigabitEthernet118 = hdlc119 = lapf120 = v37121 = x25mlp122 = x25huntGroup123 = transpHdlc124 = interleave125 = fast126 = ip127 = docsCableMaclayer128 = docsCableDownstream129 = docsCableUpstream130 = a12MppSwitch131 = tunnel132 = coffee133 = ces134 = atmSubInterface135 = l2vlan136 = l3ipvlan137 = l3ipxvlan138 = digitalPowerline139 = mediaMailOverIp140 = dtm141 = dcn142 = ipForward143 = msdsl144 = ieee1394145 = if-gsn146 = dvbRccMacLayer147 = dvbRccDownstream148 = dvbRccUpstream149 = atmVirtual150 = mplsTunnel151 = srp152 = voiceOverAtm153 = voiceOverFrameRelay154 = idsl155 = compositeLink156 = ss7SigLink157 = propWirelessP2P158 = frForward159 = rfc1483160 = usb161 = ieee8023adLag162 = bgppolicyaccounting163 = frf16MfrBundle164 = h323Gatekeeper165 = h323Proxy166 = mpls167 = mfSigLink168 = hdsl2169 = shdsl170 = ds1FDL171 = pos172 = dvbAsiIn173 = dvbAsiOut174 = plc175 = nfas176 = tr008177 = gr303RDT178 = gr303IDT179 = isup180 = propDocsWirelessMaclayer181 = propDocsWirelessDownstream182 = propDocsWirelessUpstream183 = hiperlan2184 = propBWAp2Mp185 = sonetOverheadChannel186 = digitalWrapperOverheadChannel187 = aal2188 = radioMAC189 = atmRadio190 = imt191 = mvl192 = reachDSL193 = frDlciEndPt194 = atmVciEndPt195 = opticalChannel196 = opticalTransport197 = propAtm198 = voiceOverCable199 = infiniband200 = teLink201 = q2931202 = virtualTg203 = sipTg204 = sipSig205 = docsCableUpstreamChannel206 = econet207 = pon155208 = pon622209 = bridge210 = linegroup211 = voiceEMFGD212 = voiceFGDEANA213 = voiceDID214 = mpegTransport215 = sixToFour216 = gtp217 = pdnEtherLoop1218 = pdnEtherLoop2219 = opticalChannelGroup220 = homepna221 = gfp222 = ciscoISLvlan223 = actelisMetaLOOP224 = fcipLink225 = rpr226 = qam227 = lmp228 = cblVectaStar229 = docsCableMCmtsDownstream230 = adsl2231 = macSecControlledIF232 = macSecUncontrolledIF233 = aviciOpticalEther234 = atmbond235 = voiceFGDOS236 = mocaVersion1237 = ieee80216WMAN238 = adsl2plus239 = dvbRcsMacLayer240 = dvbTdm241 = dvbRcsTdma242 = x86Laps243 = wwanPP244 = wwanPP2245 = voiceEBS246 = ifPwType247 = ilan248 = pip249 = aluELP250 = gpon251 = vdsl2252 = capwapDot11Profile253 = capwapDot11Bss254 = capwapWtpVirtualRadio255 = bits256 = docsCableUpstreamRfPort257 = cableDownstreamRfPort258 = vmwareVirtualNic259 = ieee802154260 = otnOdu261 = otnOtu262 = ifVfiType263 = g9981264 = g9982265 = g9983266 = aluEpon267 = aluEponOnu268 = aluEponPhysicalUni269 = aluEponLogicalLink270 = aluGponOnu271 = aluGponPhysicalUni272 = vmwareNicTeam277 = docsOfdmDownstream278 = docsOfdmaUpstream279 = gfast280 = sdci281 = xboxWireless282 = fastdsl283 = docsCableScte55d1FwdOob284 = docsCableScte55d1RetOob285 = docsCableScte55d2DsOob286 = docsCableScte55d2UsOob287 = docsCableNdf288 = docsCableNdr289 = ptm290 = ghn291 = otnOtsi292 = otnOtuc293 = otnOduc294 = otnOtsig295 = microwaveCarrierTermination296 = microwaveRadioLinkTerminal297 = ieee8021axDrni298 = ax25299 = ieee19061nanocomThis data type is used as the syntax of the ifType object in the (updated) definition of MIB-II's ifTable. The definition of this textual convention with the addition of newly assigned values is published periodically by the IANA, in either the Assigned Numbers RFC, or some derivative of it specific to Internet Network Management number assignments. (The latest arrangements can be obtained by contacting the IANA.) Interface types must not be directly added to the IANAifType-MIB MIB module. They must instead be added to the 'ifType definitions' registry at https://www.iana.org/assignments/smi-numbers. The relationship between the assignment of ifType values and of OIDs to particular media-specific MIBs is solely the purview of IANA and is subject to change without notice. Quite often, a media-specific MIB's OID-subtree assignment within MIB-II's 'transmission' subtree will be the same as its ifType value. However, in some circumstances this will not be the case, and implementors must not pre-assume any specific relationship between ifType values and transmission subtree OIDs. · Integer32

The type of interface. Additional values for ifType are assigned by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), through updating the syntax of the IANAifType textual convention.

Integer32

The size of the largest packet which can be sent/received on the interface, specified in octets. For interfaces that are used for transmitting network datagrams, this is the size of the largest network datagram that can be sent on the interface.

Gauge32

An estimate of the interface's current bandwidth in bits per second. For interfaces which do not vary in bandwidth or for those where no accurate estimation can be made, this object should contain the nominal bandwidth. If the bandwidth of the interface is greater than the maximum value reportable by this object then this object should report its maximum value (4,294,967,295) and ifHighSpeed must be used to report the interace's speed. For a sub-layer which has no concept of bandwidth, this object should be zero.

PhysAddressRepresents media- or physical-level addresses. · OCTET STRING · hint 1x:

The interface's address at its protocol sub-layer. For example, for an 802.x interface, this object normally contains a MAC address. The interface's media-specific MIB must define the bit and byte ordering and the format of the value of this object. For interfaces which do not have such an address (e.g., a serial line), this object should contain an octet string of zero length.

INTEGER1 = up2 = down3 = testing · Integer32

The desired state of the interface. The testing(3) state indicates that no operational packets can be passed. When a managed system initializes, all interfaces start with ifAdminStatus in the down(2) state. As a result of either explicit management action or per configuration information retained by the managed system, ifAdminStatus is then changed to either the up(1) or testing(3) states (or remains in the down(2) state).

INTEGER1 = up2 = down3 = testing4 = unknown5 = dormant6 = notPresent7 = lowerLayerDown · Integer32

The current operational state of the interface. The testing(3) state indicates that no operational packets can be passed. If ifAdminStatus is down(2) then ifOperStatus should be down(2). If ifAdminStatus is changed to up(1) then ifOperStatus should change to up(1) if the interface is ready to transmit and receive network traffic; it should change to dormant(5) if the interface is waiting for external actions (such as a serial line waiting for an incoming connection); it should remain in the down(2) state if and only if there is a fault that prevents it from going to the up(1) state; it should remain in the notPresent(6) state if the interface has missing (typically, hardware) components.

TimeTicks

The value of sysUpTime at the time the interface entered its current operational state. If the current state was entered prior to the last re-initialization of the local network management subsystem, then this object contains a zero value.

Counter32

The total number of octets received on the interface, including framing characters. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter32

The number of packets, delivered by this sub-layer to a higher (sub-)layer, which were not addressed to a multicast or broadcast address at this sub-layer. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter32

The number of packets, delivered by this sub-layer to a higher (sub-)layer, which were addressed to a multicast or broadcast address at this sub-layer. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime. This object is deprecated in favour of ifInMulticastPkts and ifInBroadcastPkts.

Counter32

The number of inbound packets which were chosen to be discarded even though no errors had been detected to prevent their being deliverable to a higher-layer protocol. One possible reason for discarding such a packet could be to free up buffer space. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter32

For packet-oriented interfaces, the number of inbound packets that contained errors preventing them from being deliverable to a higher-layer protocol. For character- oriented or fixed-length interfaces, the number of inbound transmission units that contained errors preventing them from being deliverable to a higher-layer protocol. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter32

For packet-oriented interfaces, the number of packets received via the interface which were discarded because of an unknown or unsupported protocol. For character-oriented or fixed-length interfaces that support protocol multiplexing the number of transmission units received via the interface which were discarded because of an unknown or unsupported protocol. For any interface that does not support protocol multiplexing, this counter will always be 0. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter32

The total number of octets transmitted out of the interface, including framing characters. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter32

The total number of packets that higher-level protocols requested be transmitted, and which were not addressed to a multicast or broadcast address at this sub-layer, including those that were discarded or not sent. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter32

The total number of packets that higher-level protocols requested be transmitted, and which were addressed to a multicast or broadcast address at this sub-layer, including those that were discarded or not sent. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime. This object is deprecated in favour of ifOutMulticastPkts and ifOutBroadcastPkts.

Counter32

The number of outbound packets which were chosen to be discarded even though no errors had been detected to prevent their being transmitted. One possible reason for discarding such a packet could be to free up buffer space. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter32

For packet-oriented interfaces, the number of outbound packets that could not be transmitted because of errors. For character-oriented or fixed-length interfaces, the number of outbound transmission units that could not be transmitted because of errors. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Gauge32

The length of the output packet queue (in packets).

OBJECT IDENTIFIER

A reference to MIB definitions specific to the particular media being used to realize the interface. It is recommended that this value point to an instance of a MIB object in the media-specific MIB, i.e., that this object have the semantics associated with the InstancePointer textual convention defined in RFC 2579. In fact, it is recommended that the media-specific MIB specify what value ifSpecific should/can take for values of ifType. If no MIB definitions specific to the particular media are available, the value should be set to the OBJECT IDENTIFIER { 0 0 }.

DisplayStringRepresents textual information taken from the NVT ASCII character set, as defined in pages 4, 10-11 of RFC 854. To summarize RFC 854, the NVT ASCII repertoire specifies: - the use of character codes 0-127 (decimal) - the graphics characters (32-126) are interpreted as US ASCII - NUL, LF, CR, BEL, BS, HT, VT and FF have the special meanings specified in RFC 854 - the other 25 codes have no standard interpretation - the sequence 'CR LF' means newline - the sequence 'CR NUL' means carriage-return - an 'LF' not preceded by a 'CR' means moving to the same column on the next line. - the sequence 'CR x' for any x other than LF or NUL is illegal. (Note that this also means that a string may end with either 'CR LF' or 'CR NUL', but not with CR.) Any object defined using this syntax may not exceed 255 characters in length. SIZE (0..255) · OCTET STRING · hint 255a

The textual name of the interface. The value of this object should be the name of the interface as assigned by the local device and should be suitable for use in commands entered at the device's `console'. This might be a text name, such as `le0' or a simple port number, such as `1', depending on the interface naming syntax of the device. If several entries in the ifTable together represent a single interface as named by the device, then each will have the same value of ifName. Note that for an agent which responds to SNMP queries concerning an interface on some other (proxied) device, then the value of ifName for such an interface is the proxied device's local name for it. If there is no local name, or this object is otherwise not applicable, then this object contains a zero-length string.

Counter32

The number of packets, delivered by this sub-layer to a higher (sub-)layer, which were addressed to a multicast address at this sub-layer. For a MAC layer protocol, this includes both Group and Functional addresses. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter32

The number of packets, delivered by this sub-layer to a higher (sub-)layer, which were addressed to a broadcast address at this sub-layer. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter32

The total number of packets that higher-level protocols requested be transmitted, and which were addressed to a multicast address at this sub-layer, including those that were discarded or not sent. For a MAC layer protocol, this includes both Group and Functional addresses. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter32

The total number of packets that higher-level protocols requested be transmitted, and which were addressed to a broadcast address at this sub-layer, including those that were discarded or not sent. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter64 (0..18446744073709551615)

The total number of octets received on the interface, including framing characters. This object is a 64-bit version of ifInOctets. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter64 (0..18446744073709551615)

The number of packets, delivered by this sub-layer to a higher (sub-)layer, which were not addressed to a multicast or broadcast address at this sub-layer. This object is a 64-bit version of ifInUcastPkts. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter64 (0..18446744073709551615)

The number of packets, delivered by this sub-layer to a higher (sub-)layer, which were addressed to a multicast address at this sub-layer. For a MAC layer protocol, this includes both Group and Functional addresses. This object is a 64-bit version of ifInMulticastPkts. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter64 (0..18446744073709551615)

The number of packets, delivered by this sub-layer to a higher (sub-)layer, which were addressed to a broadcast address at this sub-layer. This object is a 64-bit version of ifInBroadcastPkts. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter64 (0..18446744073709551615)

The total number of octets transmitted out of the interface, including framing characters. This object is a 64-bit version of ifOutOctets. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter64 (0..18446744073709551615)

The total number of packets that higher-level protocols requested be transmitted, and which were not addressed to a multicast or broadcast address at this sub-layer, including those that were discarded or not sent. This object is a 64-bit version of ifOutUcastPkts. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter64 (0..18446744073709551615)

The total number of packets that higher-level protocols requested be transmitted, and which were addressed to a multicast address at this sub-layer, including those that were discarded or not sent. For a MAC layer protocol, this includes both Group and Functional addresses. This object is a 64-bit version of ifOutMulticastPkts. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

Counter64 (0..18446744073709551615)

The total number of packets that higher-level protocols requested be transmitted, and which were addressed to a broadcast address at this sub-layer, including those that were discarded or not sent. This object is a 64-bit version of ifOutBroadcastPkts. Discontinuities in the value of this counter can occur at re-initialization of the management system, and at other times as indicated by the value of ifCounterDiscontinuityTime.

INTEGER1 = enabled2 = disabled · Integer32

Indicates whether linkUp/linkDown traps should be generated for this interface. By default, this object should have the value enabled(1) for interfaces which do not operate on 'top' of any other interface (as defined in the ifStackTable), and disabled(2) otherwise.

Gauge32

An estimate of the interface's current bandwidth in units of 1,000,000 bits per second. If this object reports a value of `n' then the speed of the interface is somewhere in the range of `n-500,000' to `n+499,999'. For interfaces which do not vary in bandwidth or for those where no accurate estimation can be made, this object should contain the nominal bandwidth. For a sub-layer which has no concept of bandwidth, this object should be zero.

TruthValue1 = true2 = falseRepresents a boolean value. · Integer32

This object has a value of false(2) if this interface only accepts packets/frames that are addressed to this station. This object has a value of true(1) when the station accepts all packets/frames transmitted on the media. The value true(1) is only legal on certain types of media. If legal, setting this object to a value of true(1) may require the interface to be reset before becoming effective. The value of ifPromiscuousMode does not affect the reception of broadcast and multicast packets/frames by the interface.

TruthValue1 = true2 = falseRepresents a boolean value. · Integer32

This object has the value 'true(1)' if the interface sublayer has a physical connector and the value 'false(2)' otherwise.

DisplayStringRepresents textual information taken from the NVT ASCII character set, as defined in pages 4, 10-11 of RFC 854. To summarize RFC 854, the NVT ASCII repertoire specifies: - the use of character codes 0-127 (decimal) - the graphics characters (32-126) are interpreted as US ASCII - NUL, LF, CR, BEL, BS, HT, VT and FF have the special meanings specified in RFC 854 - the other 25 codes have no standard interpretation - the sequence 'CR LF' means newline - the sequence 'CR NUL' means carriage-return - an 'LF' not preceded by a 'CR' means moving to the same column on the next line. - the sequence 'CR x' for any x other than LF or NUL is illegal. (Note that this also means that a string may end with either 'CR LF' or 'CR NUL', but not with CR.) Any object defined using this syntax may not exceed 255 characters in length. SIZE (0..64) · OCTET STRING · hint 255a

This object is an 'alias' name for the interface as specified by a network manager, and provides a non-volatile 'handle' for the interface. On the first instantiation of an interface, the value of ifAlias associated with that interface is the zero-length string. As and when a value is written into an instance of ifAlias through a network management set operation, then the agent must retain the supplied value in the ifAlias instance associated with the same interface for as long as that interface remains instantiated, including across all re- initializations/reboots of the network management system, including those which result in a change of the interface's ifIndex value. An example of the value which a network manager might store in this object for a WAN interface is the (Telco's) circuit number/identifier of the interface. Some agents may support write-access only for interfaces having particular values of ifType. An agent which supports write access to this object is required to keep the value in non-volatile storage, but it may limit the length of new values depending on how much storage is already occupied by the current values for other interfaces.

TimeStampThe value of the sysUpTime object at which a specific occurrence happened. The specific occurrence must be defined in the description of any object defined using this type. If sysUpTime is reset to zero as a result of a re- initialization of the network management (sub)system, then the values of all TimeStamp objects are also reset. However, after approximately 497 days without a re- initialization, the sysUpTime object will reach 2^^32-1 and then increment around to zero; in this case, existing values of TimeStamp objects do not change. This can lead to ambiguities in the value of TimeStamp objects. · TimeTicks

The value of sysUpTime on the most recent occasion at which any one or more of this interface's counters suffered a discontinuity. The relevant counters are the specific instances associated with this interface of any Counter32 or Counter64 object contained in the ifTable or ifXTable. If no such discontinuities have occurred since the last re- initialization of the local management subsystem, then this object contains a zero value.

InterfaceIndexOrZeroThis textual convention is an extension of the InterfaceIndex convention. The latter defines a greater than zero value used to identify an interface or interface sub-layer in the managed system. This extension permits the additional value of zero. the value zero is object-specific and must therefore be defined as part of the description of any object which uses this syntax. Examples of the usage of zero might include situations where interface was unknown, or when none or all interfaces need to be referenced. (0..2147483647) · Integer32 · hint d

The value of ifIndex corresponding to the higher sub-layer of the relationship, i.e., the sub-layer which runs on 'top' of the sub-layer identified by the corresponding instance of ifStackLowerLayer. If there is no higher sub-layer (below the internetwork layer), then this object has the value 0.

InterfaceIndexOrZeroThis textual convention is an extension of the InterfaceIndex convention. The latter defines a greater than zero value used to identify an interface or interface sub-layer in the managed system. This extension permits the additional value of zero. the value zero is object-specific and must therefore be defined as part of the description of any object which uses this syntax. Examples of the usage of zero might include situations where interface was unknown, or when none or all interfaces need to be referenced. (0..2147483647) · Integer32 · hint d

The value of ifIndex corresponding to the lower sub-layer of the relationship, i.e., the sub-layer which runs 'below' the sub-layer identified by the corresponding instance of ifStackHigherLayer. If there is no lower sub-layer, then this object has the value 0.

RowStatus1 = active2 = notInService3 = notReady4 = createAndGo5 = createAndWait6 = destroyThe RowStatus textual convention is used to manage the creation and deletion of conceptual rows, and is used as the value of the SYNTAX clause for the status column of a conceptual row (as described in Section 7.7.1 of [2].) The status column has six defined values: - `active', which indicates that the conceptual row is available for use by the managed device; - `notInService', which indicates that the conceptual row exists in the agent, but is unavailable for use by the managed device (see NOTE below); 'notInService' has no implication regarding the internal consistency of the row, availability of resources, or consistency with the current state of the managed device; - `notReady', which indicates that the conceptual row exists in the agent, but is missing information necessary in order to be available for use by the managed device (i.e., one or more required columns in the conceptual row have not been instanciated); - `createAndGo', which is supplied by a management station wishing to create a new instance of a conceptual row and to have its status automatically set to active, making it available for use by the managed device; - `createAndWait', which is supplied by a management station wishing to create a new instance of a conceptual row (but not make it available for use by the managed device); and, - `destroy', which is supplied by a management station wishing to delete all of the instances associated with an existing conceptual row. Whereas five of the six values (all except `notReady') may be specified in a management protocol set operation, only three values will be returned in response to a management protocol retrieval operation: `notReady', `notInService' or `active'. That is, when queried, an existing conceptual row has only three states: it is either available for use by the managed device (the status column has value `active'); it is not available for use by the managed device, though the agent has sufficient information to attempt to make it so (the status column has value `notInService'); or, it is not available for use by the managed device, and an attempt to make it so would fail because the agent has insufficient information (the state column has value `notReady'). NOTE WELL This textual convention may be used for a MIB table, irrespective of whether the values of that table's conceptual rows are able to be modified while it is active, or whether its conceptual rows must be taken out of service in order to be modified. That is, it is the responsibility of the DESCRIPTION clause of the status column to specify whether the status column must not be `active' in order for the value of some other column of the same conceptual row to be modified. If such a specification is made, affected columns may be changed by an SNMP set PDU if the RowStatus would not be equal to `active' either immediately before or after processing the PDU. In other words, if the PDU also contained a varbind that would change the RowStatus value, the column in question may be changed if the RowStatus was not equal to `active' as the PDU was received, or if the varbind sets the status to a value other than 'active'. Also note that whenever any elements of a row exist, the RowStatus column must also exist. To summarize the effect of having a conceptual row with a status column having a SYNTAX clause value of RowStatus, consider the following state diagram: STATE +--------------+-----------+-------------+------------- | A | B | C | D | |status col.|status column| |status column | is | is |status column ACTION |does not exist| notReady | notInService| is active --------------+--------------+-----------+-------------+------------- set status |noError ->D|inconsist- |inconsistent-|inconsistent- column to | or | entValue| Value| Value createAndGo |inconsistent- | | | | Value| | | --------------+--------------+-----------+-------------+------------- set status |noError see 1|inconsist- |inconsistent-|inconsistent- column to | or | entValue| Value| Value createAndWait |wrongValue | | | --------------+--------------+-----------+-------------+------------- set status |inconsistent- |inconsist- |noError |noError column to | Value| entValue| | active | | | | | | or | | | | | | | |see 2 ->D|see 8 ->D| ->D --------------+--------------+-----------+-------------+------------- set status |inconsistent- |inconsist- |noError |noError ->C column to | Value| entValue| | notInService | | | | | | or | | or | | | | | |see 3 ->C| ->C|see 6 --------------+--------------+-----------+-------------+------------- set status |noError |noError |noError |noError ->A column to | | | | or destroy | ->A| ->A| ->A|see 7 --------------+--------------+-----------+-------------+------------- set any other |see 4 |noError |noError |see 5 column to some| | | | value | | see 1| ->C| ->D --------------+--------------+-----------+-------------+------------- (1) goto B or C, depending on information available to the agent. (2) if other variable bindings included in the same PDU, provide values for all columns which are missing but required, and all columns have acceptable values, then return noError and goto D. (3) if other variable bindings included in the same PDU, provide legal values for all columns which are missing but required, then return noError and goto C. (4) at the discretion of the agent, the return value may be either: inconsistentName: because the agent does not choose to create such an instance when the corresponding RowStatus instance does not exist, or inconsistentValue: if the supplied value is inconsistent with the state of some other MIB object's value, or noError: because the agent chooses to create the instance. If noError is returned, then the instance of the status column must also be created, and the new state is B or C, depending on the information available to the agent. If inconsistentName or inconsistentValue is returned, the row remains in state A. (5) depending on the MIB definition for the column/table, either noError or inconsistentValue may be returned. (6) the return value can indicate one of the following errors: wrongValue: because the agent does not support notInService (e.g., an agent which does not support createAndWait), or inconsistentValue: because the agent is unable to take the row out of service at this time, perhaps because it is in use and cannot be de-activated. (7) the return value can indicate the following error: inconsistentValue: because the agent is unable to remove the row at this time, perhaps because it is in use and cannot be de-activated. (8) the transition to D can fail, e.g., if the values of the conceptual row are inconsistent, then the error code would be inconsistentValue. NOTE: Other processing of (this and other varbinds of) the set request may result in a response other than noError being returned, e.g., wrongValue, noCreation, etc. Conceptual Row Creation There are four potential interactions when creating a conceptual row: selecting an instance-identifier which is not in use; creating the conceptual row; initializing any objects for which the agent does not supply a default; and, making the conceptual row available for use by the managed device. Interaction 1: Selecting an Instance-Identifier The algorithm used to select an instance-identifier varies for each conceptual row. In some cases, the instance- identifier is semantically significant, e.g., the destination address of a route, and a management station selects the instance-identifier according to the semantics. In other cases, the instance-identifier is used solely to distinguish conceptual rows, and a management station without specific knowledge of the conceptual row might examine the instances present in order to determine an unused instance-identifier. (This approach may be used, but it is often highly sub-optimal; however, it is also a questionable practice for a naive management station to attempt conceptual row creation.) Alternately, the MIB module which defines the conceptual row might provide one or more objects which provide assistance in determining an unused instance-identifier. For example, if the conceptual row is indexed by an integer-value, then an object having an integer-valued SYNTAX clause might be defined for such a purpose, allowing a management station to issue a management protocol retrieval operation. In order to avoid unnecessary collisions between competing management stations, `adjacent' retrievals of this object should be different. Finally, the management station could select a pseudo-random number to use as the index. In the event that this index was already in use and an inconsistentValue was returned in response to the management protocol set operation, the management station should simply select a new pseudo-random number and retry the operation. A MIB designer should choose between the two latter algorithms based on the size of the table (and therefore the efficiency of each algorithm). For tables in which a large number of entries are expected, it is recommended that a MIB object be defined that returns an acceptable index for creation. For tables with small numbers of entries, it is recommended that the latter pseudo-random index mechanism be used. Interaction 2: Creating the Conceptual Row Once an unused instance-identifier has been selected, the management station determines if it wishes to create and activate the conceptual row in one transaction or in a negotiated set of interactions. Interaction 2a: Creating and Activating the Conceptual Row The management station must first determine the column requirements, i.e., it must determine those columns for which it must or must not provide values. Depending on the complexity of the table and the management station's knowledge of the agent's capabilities, this determination can be made locally by the management station. Alternately, the management station issues a management protocol get operation to examine all columns in the conceptual row that it wishes to create. In response, for each column, there are three possible outcomes: - a value is returned, indicating that some other management station has already created this conceptual row. We return to interaction 1. - the exception `noSuchInstance' is returned, indicating that the agent implements the object-type associated with this column, and that this column in at least one conceptual row would be accessible in the MIB view used by the retrieval were it to exist. For those columns to which the agent provides read-create access, the `noSuchInstance' exception tells the management station that it should supply a value for this column when the conceptual row is to be created. - the exception `noSuchObject' is returned, indicating that the agent does not implement the object-type associated with this column or that there is no conceptual row for which this column would be accessible in the MIB view used by the retrieval. As such, the management station can not issue any management protocol set operations to create an instance of this column. Once the column requirements have been determined, a management protocol set operation is accordingly issued. This operation also sets the new instance of the status column to `createAndGo'. When the agent processes the set operation, it verifies that it has sufficient information to make the conceptual row available for use by the managed device. The information available to the agent is provided by two sources: the management protocol set operation which creates the conceptual row, and, implementation-specific defaults supplied by the agent (note that an agent must provide implementation-specific defaults for at least those objects which it implements as read-only). If there is sufficient information available, then the conceptual row is created, a `noError' response is returned, the status column is set to `active', and no further interactions are necessary (i.e., interactions 3 and 4 are skipped). If there is insufficient information, then the conceptual row is not created, and the set operation fails with an error of `inconsistentValue'. On this error, the management station can issue a management protocol retrieval operation to determine if this was because it failed to specify a value for a required column, or, because the selected instance of the status column already existed. In the latter case, we return to interaction 1. In the former case, the management station can re-issue the set operation with the additional information, or begin interaction 2 again using `createAndWait' in order to negotiate creation of the conceptual row. NOTE WELL Regardless of the method used to determine the column requirements, it is possible that the management station might deem a column necessary when, in fact, the agent will not allow that particular columnar instance to be created or written. In this case, the management protocol set operation will fail with an error such as `noCreation' or `notWritable'. In this case, the management station decides whether it needs to be able to set a value for that particular columnar instance. If not, the management station re-issues the management protocol set operation, but without setting a value for that particular columnar instance; otherwise, the management station aborts the row creation algorithm. Interaction 2b: Negotiating the Creation of the Conceptual Row The management station issues a management protocol set operation which sets the desired instance of the status column to `createAndWait'. If the agent is unwilling to process a request of this sort, the set operation fails with an error of `wrongValue'. (As a consequence, such an agent must be prepared to accept a single management protocol set operation, i.e., interaction 2a above, containing all of the columns indicated by its column requirements.) Otherwise, the conceptual row is created, a `noError' response is returned, and the status column is immediately set to either `notInService' or `notReady', depending on whether it has sufficient information to (attempt to) make the conceptual row available for use by the managed device. If there is sufficient information available, then the status column is set to `notInService'; otherwise, if there is insufficient information, then the status column is set to `notReady'. Regardless, we proceed to interaction 3. Interaction 3: Initializing non-defaulted Objects The management station must now determine the column requirements. It issues a management protocol get operation to examine all columns in the created conceptual row. In the response, for each column, there are three possible outcomes: - a value is returned, indicating that the agent implements the object-type associated with this column and had sufficient information to provide a value. For those columns to which the agent provides read-create access (and for which the agent allows their values to be changed after their creation), a value return tells the management station that it may issue additional management protocol set operations, if it desires, in order to change the value associated with this column. - the exception `noSuchInstance' is returned, indicating that the agent implements the object-type associated with this column, and that this column in at least one conceptual row would be accessible in the MIB view used by the retrieval were it to exist. However, the agent does not have sufficient information to provide a value, and until a value is provided, the conceptual row may not be made available for use by the managed device. For those columns to which the agent provides read-create access, the `noSuchInstance' exception tells the management station that it must issue additional management protocol set operations, in order to provide a value associated with this column. - the exception `noSuchObject' is returned, indicating that the agent does not implement the object-type associated with this column or that there is no conceptual row for which this column would be accessible in the MIB view used by the retrieval. As such, the management station can not issue any management protocol set operations to create an instance of this column. If the value associated with the status column is `notReady', then the management station must first deal with all `noSuchInstance' columns, if any. Having done so, the value of the status column becomes `notInService', and we proceed to interaction 4. Interaction 4: Making the Conceptual Row Available Once the management station is satisfied with the values associated with the columns of the conceptual row, it issues a management protocol set operation to set the status column to `active'. If the agent has sufficient information to make the conceptual row available for use by the managed device, the management protocol set operation succeeds (a `noError' response is returned). Otherwise, the management protocol set operation fails with an error of `inconsistentValue'. NOTE WELL A conceptual row having a status column with value `notInService' or `notReady' is unavailable to the managed device. As such, it is possible for the managed device to create its own instances during the time between the management protocol set operation which sets the status column to `createAndWait' and the management protocol set operation which sets the status column to `active'. In this case, when the management protocol set operation is issued to set the status column to `active', the values held in the agent supersede those used by the managed device. If the management station is prevented from setting the status column to `active' (e.g., due to management station or network failure) the conceptual row will be left in the `notInService' or `notReady' state, consuming resources indefinitely. The agent must detect conceptual rows that have been in either state for an abnormally long period of time and remove them. It is the responsibility of the DESCRIPTION clause of the status column to indicate what an abnormally long period of time would be. This period of time should be long enough to allow for human response time (including `think time') between the creation of the conceptual row and the setting of the status to `active'. In the absence of such information in the DESCRIPTION clause, it is suggested that this period be approximately 5 minutes in length. This removal action applies not only to newly-created rows, but also to previously active rows which are set to, and left in, the notInService state for a prolonged period exceeding that which is considered normal for such a conceptual row. Conceptual Row Suspension When a conceptual row is `active', the management station may issue a management protocol set operation which sets the instance of the status column to `notInService'. If the agent is unwilling to do so, the set operation fails with an error of `wrongValue' or `inconsistentValue'. Otherwise, the conceptual row is taken out of service, and a `noError' response is returned. It is the responsibility of the DESCRIPTION clause of the status column to indicate under what circumstances the status column should be taken out of service (e.g., in order for the value of some other column of the same conceptual row to be modified). Conceptual Row Deletion For deletion of conceptual rows, a management protocol set operation is issued which sets the instance of the status column to `destroy'. This request may be made regardless of the current value of the status column (e.g., it is possible to delete conceptual rows which are either `notReady', `notInService' or `active'.) If the operation succeeds, then all instances associated with the conceptual row are immediately removed. · Integer32

The status of the relationship between two sub-layers. Changing the value of this object from 'active' to 'notInService' or 'destroy' will likely have consequences up and down the interface stack. Thus, write access to this object is likely to be inappropriate for some types of interfaces, and many implementations will choose not to support write-access for any type of interface.

TestAndIncrRepresents integer-valued information used for atomic operations. When the management protocol is used to specify that an object instance having this syntax is to be modified, the new value supplied via the management protocol must precisely match the value presently held by the instance. If not, the management protocol set operation fails with an error of `inconsistentValue'. Otherwise, if the current value is the maximum value of 2^31-1 (2147483647 decimal), then the value held by the instance is wrapped to zero; otherwise, the value held by the instance is incremented by one. (Note that regardless of whether the management protocol set operation succeeds, the variable- binding in the request and response PDUs are identical.) The value of the ACCESS clause for objects having this syntax is either `read-write' or `read-create'. When an instance of a columnar object having this syntax is created, any value may be supplied via the management protocol. When the network management portion of the system is re- initialized, the value of every object instance having this syntax must either be incremented from its value prior to the re-initialization, or (if the value prior to the re- initialization is unknown) be set to a pseudo-randomly generated value. (0..2147483647) · Integer32

This object identifies the current invocation of the interface's test.

INTEGER1 = notInUse2 = inUse · Integer32

This object indicates whether or not some manager currently has the necessary 'ownership' required to invoke a test on this interface. A write to this object is only successful when it changes its value from 'notInUse(1)' to 'inUse(2)'. After completion of a test, the agent resets the value back to 'notInUse(1)'.

AutonomousTypeRepresents an independently extensible type identification value. It may, for example, indicate a particular sub-tree with further MIB definitions, or define a particular type of protocol or hardware. · OBJECT IDENTIFIER

A control variable used to start and stop operator- initiated interface tests. Most OBJECT IDENTIFIER values assigned to tests are defined elsewhere, in association with specific types of interface. However, this document assigns a value for a full-duplex loopback test, and defines the special meanings of the subject identifier: noTest OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { 0 0 } When the value noTest is written to this object, no action is taken unless a test is in progress, in which case the test is aborted. Writing any other value to this object is only valid when no test is currently in progress, in which case the indicated test is initiated. When read, this object always returns the most recent value that ifTestType was set to. If it has not been set since the last initialization of the network management subsystem on the agent, a value of noTest is returned.

INTEGER1 = none2 = success3 = inProgress4 = notSupported5 = unAbleToRun6 = aborted7 = failed · Integer32

This object contains the result of the most recently requested test, or the value none(1) if no tests have been requested since the last reset. Note that this facility provides no provision for saving the results of one test when starting another, as could be required if used by multiple managers concurrently.

OBJECT IDENTIFIER

This object contains a code which contains more specific information on the test result, for example an error-code after a failed test. Error codes and other values this object may take are specific to the type of interface and/or test. The value may have the semantics of either the AutonomousType or InstancePointer textual conventions as defined in RFC 2579. The identifier: testCodeUnknown OBJECT IDENTIFIER ::= { 0 0 } is defined for use if no additional result code is available.

OwnerStringThis data type is used to model an administratively assigned name of the owner of a resource. This information is taken from the NVT ASCII character set. It is suggested that this name contain one or more of the following: ASCII form of the manager station's transport address, management station name (e.g., domain name), network management personnel's name, location, or phone number. In some cases the agent itself will be the owner of an entry. In these cases, this string shall be set to a string starting with 'agent'. SIZE (0..255) · OCTET STRING · hint 255a

The entity which currently has the 'ownership' required to invoke a test on this interface.

PhysAddressRepresents media- or physical-level addresses. · OCTET STRING · hint 1x:

An address for which the system will accept packets/frames on this entry's interface.

RowStatus1 = active2 = notInService3 = notReady4 = createAndGo5 = createAndWait6 = destroyThe RowStatus textual convention is used to manage the creation and deletion of conceptual rows, and is used as the value of the SYNTAX clause for the status column of a conceptual row (as described in Section 7.7.1 of [2].) The status column has six defined values: - `active', which indicates that the conceptual row is available for use by the managed device; - `notInService', which indicates that the conceptual row exists in the agent, but is unavailable for use by the managed device (see NOTE below); 'notInService' has no implication regarding the internal consistency of the row, availability of resources, or consistency with the current state of the managed device; - `notReady', which indicates that the conceptual row exists in the agent, but is missing information necessary in order to be available for use by the managed device (i.e., one or more required columns in the conceptual row have not been instanciated); - `createAndGo', which is supplied by a management station wishing to create a new instance of a conceptual row and to have its status automatically set to active, making it available for use by the managed device; - `createAndWait', which is supplied by a management station wishing to create a new instance of a conceptual row (but not make it available for use by the managed device); and, - `destroy', which is supplied by a management station wishing to delete all of the instances associated with an existing conceptual row. Whereas five of the six values (all except `notReady') may be specified in a management protocol set operation, only three values will be returned in response to a management protocol retrieval operation: `notReady', `notInService' or `active'. That is, when queried, an existing conceptual row has only three states: it is either available for use by the managed device (the status column has value `active'); it is not available for use by the managed device, though the agent has sufficient information to attempt to make it so (the status column has value `notInService'); or, it is not available for use by the managed device, and an attempt to make it so would fail because the agent has insufficient information (the state column has value `notReady'). NOTE WELL This textual convention may be used for a MIB table, irrespective of whether the values of that table's conceptual rows are able to be modified while it is active, or whether its conceptual rows must be taken out of service in order to be modified. That is, it is the responsibility of the DESCRIPTION clause of the status column to specify whether the status column must not be `active' in order for the value of some other column of the same conceptual row to be modified. If such a specification is made, affected columns may be changed by an SNMP set PDU if the RowStatus would not be equal to `active' either immediately before or after processing the PDU. In other words, if the PDU also contained a varbind that would change the RowStatus value, the column in question may be changed if the RowStatus was not equal to `active' as the PDU was received, or if the varbind sets the status to a value other than 'active'. Also note that whenever any elements of a row exist, the RowStatus column must also exist. To summarize the effect of having a conceptual row with a status column having a SYNTAX clause value of RowStatus, consider the following state diagram: STATE +--------------+-----------+-------------+------------- | A | B | C | D | |status col.|status column| |status column | is | is |status column ACTION |does not exist| notReady | notInService| is active --------------+--------------+-----------+-------------+------------- set status |noError ->D|inconsist- |inconsistent-|inconsistent- column to | or | entValue| Value| Value createAndGo |inconsistent- | | | | Value| | | --------------+--------------+-----------+-------------+------------- set status |noError see 1|inconsist- |inconsistent-|inconsistent- column to | or | entValue| Value| Value createAndWait |wrongValue | | | --------------+--------------+-----------+-------------+------------- set status |inconsistent- |inconsist- |noError |noError column to | Value| entValue| | active | | | | | | or | | | | | | | |see 2 ->D|see 8 ->D| ->D --------------+--------------+-----------+-------------+------------- set status |inconsistent- |inconsist- |noError |noError ->C column to | Value| entValue| | notInService | | | | | | or | | or | | | | | |see 3 ->C| ->C|see 6 --------------+--------------+-----------+-------------+------------- set status |noError |noError |noError |noError ->A column to | | | | or destroy | ->A| ->A| ->A|see 7 --------------+--------------+-----------+-------------+------------- set any other |see 4 |noError |noError |see 5 column to some| | | | value | | see 1| ->C| ->D --------------+--------------+-----------+-------------+------------- (1) goto B or C, depending on information available to the agent. (2) if other variable bindings included in the same PDU, provide values for all columns which are missing but required, and all columns have acceptable values, then return noError and goto D. (3) if other variable bindings included in the same PDU, provide legal values for all columns which are missing but required, then return noError and goto C. (4) at the discretion of the agent, the return value may be either: inconsistentName: because the agent does not choose to create such an instance when the corresponding RowStatus instance does not exist, or inconsistentValue: if the supplied value is inconsistent with the state of some other MIB object's value, or noError: because the agent chooses to create the instance. If noError is returned, then the instance of the status column must also be created, and the new state is B or C, depending on the information available to the agent. If inconsistentName or inconsistentValue is returned, the row remains in state A. (5) depending on the MIB definition for the column/table, either noError or inconsistentValue may be returned. (6) the return value can indicate one of the following errors: wrongValue: because the agent does not support notInService (e.g., an agent which does not support createAndWait), or inconsistentValue: because the agent is unable to take the row out of service at this time, perhaps because it is in use and cannot be de-activated. (7) the return value can indicate the following error: inconsistentValue: because the agent is unable to remove the row at this time, perhaps because it is in use and cannot be de-activated. (8) the transition to D can fail, e.g., if the values of the conceptual row are inconsistent, then the error code would be inconsistentValue. NOTE: Other processing of (this and other varbinds of) the set request may result in a response other than noError being returned, e.g., wrongValue, noCreation, etc. Conceptual Row Creation There are four potential interactions when creating a conceptual row: selecting an instance-identifier which is not in use; creating the conceptual row; initializing any objects for which the agent does not supply a default; and, making the conceptual row available for use by the managed device. Interaction 1: Selecting an Instance-Identifier The algorithm used to select an instance-identifier varies for each conceptual row. In some cases, the instance- identifier is semantically significant, e.g., the destination address of a route, and a management station selects the instance-identifier according to the semantics. In other cases, the instance-identifier is used solely to distinguish conceptual rows, and a management station without specific knowledge of the conceptual row might examine the instances present in order to determine an unused instance-identifier. (This approach may be used, but it is often highly sub-optimal; however, it is also a questionable practice for a naive management station to attempt conceptual row creation.) Alternately, the MIB module which defines the conceptual row might provide one or more objects which provide assistance in determining an unused instance-identifier. For example, if the conceptual row is indexed by an integer-value, then an object having an integer-valued SYNTAX clause might be defined for such a purpose, allowing a management station to issue a management protocol retrieval operation. In order to avoid unnecessary collisions between competing management stations, `adjacent' retrievals of this object should be different. Finally, the management station could select a pseudo-random number to use as the index. In the event that this index was already in use and an inconsistentValue was returned in response to the management protocol set operation, the management station should simply select a new pseudo-random number and retry the operation. A MIB designer should choose between the two latter algorithms based on the size of the table (and therefore the efficiency of each algorithm). For tables in which a large number of entries are expected, it is recommended that a MIB object be defined that returns an acceptable index for creation. For tables with small numbers of entries, it is recommended that the latter pseudo-random index mechanism be used. Interaction 2: Creating the Conceptual Row Once an unused instance-identifier has been selected, the management station determines if it wishes to create and activate the conceptual row in one transaction or in a negotiated set of interactions. Interaction 2a: Creating and Activating the Conceptual Row The management station must first determine the column requirements, i.e., it must determine those columns for which it must or must not provide values. Depending on the complexity of the table and the management station's knowledge of the agent's capabilities, this determination can be made locally by the management station. Alternately, the management station issues a management protocol get operation to examine all columns in the conceptual row that it wishes to create. In response, for each column, there are three possible outcomes: - a value is returned, indicating that some other management station has already created this conceptual row. We return to interaction 1. - the exception `noSuchInstance' is returned, indicating that the agent implements the object-type associated with this column, and that this column in at least one conceptual row would be accessible in the MIB view used by the retrieval were it to exist. For those columns to which the agent provides read-create access, the `noSuchInstance' exception tells the management station that it should supply a value for this column when the conceptual row is to be created. - the exception `noSuchObject' is returned, indicating that the agent does not implement the object-type associated with this column or that there is no conceptual row for which this column would be accessible in the MIB view used by the retrieval. As such, the management station can not issue any management protocol set operations to create an instance of this column. Once the column requirements have been determined, a management protocol set operation is accordingly issued. This operation also sets the new instance of the status column to `createAndGo'. When the agent processes the set operation, it verifies that it has sufficient information to make the conceptual row available for use by the managed device. The information available to the agent is provided by two sources: the management protocol set operation which creates the conceptual row, and, implementation-specific defaults supplied by the agent (note that an agent must provide implementation-specific defaults for at least those objects which it implements as read-only). If there is sufficient information available, then the conceptual row is created, a `noError' response is returned, the status column is set to `active', and no further interactions are necessary (i.e., interactions 3 and 4 are skipped). If there is insufficient information, then the conceptual row is not created, and the set operation fails with an error of `inconsistentValue'. On this error, the management station can issue a management protocol retrieval operation to determine if this was because it failed to specify a value for a required column, or, because the selected instance of the status column already existed. In the latter case, we return to interaction 1. In the former case, the management station can re-issue the set operation with the additional information, or begin interaction 2 again using `createAndWait' in order to negotiate creation of the conceptual row. NOTE WELL Regardless of the method used to determine the column requirements, it is possible that the management station might deem a column necessary when, in fact, the agent will not allow that particular columnar instance to be created or written. In this case, the management protocol set operation will fail with an error such as `noCreation' or `notWritable'. In this case, the management station decides whether it needs to be able to set a value for that particular columnar instance. If not, the management station re-issues the management protocol set operation, but without setting a value for that particular columnar instance; otherwise, the management station aborts the row creation algorithm. Interaction 2b: Negotiating the Creation of the Conceptual Row The management station issues a management protocol set operation which sets the desired instance of the status column to `createAndWait'. If the agent is unwilling to process a request of this sort, the set operation fails with an error of `wrongValue'. (As a consequence, such an agent must be prepared to accept a single management protocol set operation, i.e., interaction 2a above, containing all of the columns indicated by its column requirements.) Otherwise, the conceptual row is created, a `noError' response is returned, and the status column is immediately set to either `notInService' or `notReady', depending on whether it has sufficient information to (attempt to) make the conceptual row available for use by the managed device. If there is sufficient information available, then the status column is set to `notInService'; otherwise, if there is insufficient information, then the status column is set to `notReady'. Regardless, we proceed to interaction 3. Interaction 3: Initializing non-defaulted Objects The management station must now determine the column requirements. It issues a management protocol get operation to examine all columns in the created conceptual row. In the response, for each column, there are three possible outcomes: - a value is returned, indicating that the agent implements the object-type associated with this column and had sufficient information to provide a value. For those columns to which the agent provides read-create access (and for which the agent allows their values to be changed after their creation), a value return tells the management station that it may issue additional management protocol set operations, if it desires, in order to change the value associated with this column. - the exception `noSuchInstance' is returned, indicating that the agent implements the object-type associated with this column, and that this column in at least one conceptual row would be accessible in the MIB view used by the retrieval were it to exist. However, the agent does not have sufficient information to provide a value, and until a value is provided, the conceptual row may not be made available for use by the managed device. For those columns to which the agent provides read-create access, the `noSuchInstance' exception tells the management station that it must issue additional management protocol set operations, in order to provide a value associated with this column. - the exception `noSuchObject' is returned, indicating that the agent does not implement the object-type associated with this column or that there is no conceptual row for which this column would be accessible in the MIB view used by the retrieval. As such, the management station can not issue any management protocol set operations to create an instance of this column. If the value associated with the status column is `notReady', then the management station must first deal with all `noSuchInstance' columns, if any. Having done so, the value of the status column becomes `notInService', and we proceed to interaction 4. Interaction 4: Making the Conceptual Row Available Once the management station is satisfied with the values associated with the columns of the conceptual row, it issues a management protocol set operation to set the status column to `active'. If the agent has sufficient information to make the conceptual row available for use by the managed device, the management protocol set operation succeeds (a `noError' response is returned). Otherwise, the management protocol set operation fails with an error of `inconsistentValue'. NOTE WELL A conceptual row having a status column with value `notInService' or `notReady' is unavailable to the managed device. As such, it is possible for the managed device to create its own instances during the time between the management protocol set operation which sets the status column to `createAndWait' and the management protocol set operation which sets the status column to `active'. In this case, when the management protocol set operation is issued to set the status column to `active', the values held in the agent supersede those used by the managed device. If the management station is prevented from setting the status column to `active' (e.g., due to management station or network failure) the conceptual row will be left in the `notInService' or `notReady' state, consuming resources indefinitely. The agent must detect conceptual rows that have been in either state for an abnormally long period of time and remove them. It is the responsibility of the DESCRIPTION clause of the status column to indicate what an abnormally long period of time would be. This period of time should be long enough to allow for human response time (including `think time') between the creation of the conceptual row and the setting of the status to `active'. In the absence of such information in the DESCRIPTION clause, it is suggested that this period be approximately 5 minutes in length. This removal action applies not only to newly-created rows, but also to previously active rows which are set to, and left in, the notInService state for a prolonged period exceeding that which is considered normal for such a conceptual row. Conceptual Row Suspension When a conceptual row is `active', the management station may issue a management protocol set operation which sets the instance of the status column to `notInService'. If the agent is unwilling to do so, the set operation fails with an error of `wrongValue' or `inconsistentValue'. Otherwise, the conceptual row is taken out of service, and a `noError' response is returned. It is the responsibility of the DESCRIPTION clause of the status column to indicate under what circumstances the status column should be taken out of service (e.g., in order for the value of some other column of the same conceptual row to be modified). Conceptual Row Deletion For deletion of conceptual rows, a management protocol set operation is issued which sets the instance of the status column to `destroy'. This request may be made regardless of the current value of the status column (e.g., it is possible to delete conceptual rows which are either `notReady', `notInService' or `active'.) If the operation succeeds, then all instances associated with the conceptual row are immediately removed. · Integer32

This object is used to create and delete rows in the ifRcvAddressTable.

INTEGER1 = other2 = volatile3 = nonVolatile · Integer32

This object has the value nonVolatile(3) for those entries in the table which are valid and will not be deleted by the next restart of the managed system. Entries having the value volatile(2) are valid and exist, but have not been saved, so that will not exist after the next restart of the managed system. Entries having the value other(1) are valid and exist but are not classified as to whether they will continue to exist after the next restart.