Introduction to SNMP Community Strings
SNMP community strings function similarly to passwords, authenticating the exchange of information between an SNMP manager and a managed device. When setting up SNMPv1 and SNMPv2 community strings, consider the following guidelines:
- Character Types: Community strings can include alphanumeric characters (0-9, a-z, A-Z) and special characters such as ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ + - = { } [ ] | \ : ; ' " < > , . ? /.
- Character Restrictions: The acceptance of special characters can vary based on device or software implementation. It's best to check device compatibility.
- String Length: Typically, the length of community strings should not exceed 32 characters.
- Case Sensitivity: Community strings are case-sensitive, which means "Public" and "public" are recognized as distinct.
- Avoid Non-Printable characters: It's advisable to avoid control characters and whitespace for better compatibility and usability.
- Security Note: Since SNMPv1 and SNMPv2 transmit community strings in plaintext, using SNMP in trusted networks is crucial. For enhanced security, consider switching to SNMPv3, which supports encryption and authentication.
Importing Community Strings
SiteAudit supports the manual entry and import of SNMP community strings for both central and satellite Data Collection Agents (DCAs). Importing is especially useful for bulk updates or integrating other discovery parameters like network scan ranges.
Import Format
Community strings should be separated by commas without spaces, and encapsulated within a CDATA section to ensure that special characters are correctly interpreted. Here’s how to format your import documents:
Central DCA Example
Satellite DCA Example
In this setup, the DCA attribute specifies the target satellite DCA. If the named satellite DCA ("My Satellite" in the example) does not exist, the import will not proceed.
Multi-DCA Import Example
- When entering more than one community string, separate each with a comma. For example: community1,community2,community3
- There should be no spaces between community strings.
- Ensure all community strings are enclosed within the CDATA section with no additional spaces.
<![CDATA[community1,community2,community3]]>
To import community strings for multiple DCAs, including the central and satellite DCAs, structure your document as follows:
Important Notes
- Replacement Behavior: Importing community strings will replace any previously configured strings.
- Validation: Ensure all community strings are correctly formatted and enclosed within the CDATA section to prevent errors during the import process.
SiteAudit Import
The SiteAudit import feature can be accessed from the Tools > Import menu option.
Select the appropriate XML file and click the Import button to complete the import process.
A sample import document can be downloaded below.
