How do traps and informs improve network performance and reliability?

1 What are traps and informs?

Traps and informs are types of SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) messages that network devices can send to a network management system (NMS) or a network monitoring tool. SNMP is a standard protocol that allows you to monitor and manage network devices, such as routers, switches, servers, or printers. Traps and informs are unsolicited messages that alert you of changes or problems on your network devices, such as low disk space, high CPU usage, or device failure.

2 How do traps and informs differ?

Traps and informs have similar functions, but they differ in how they are delivered and acknowledged. A trap is a one-way message that a network device sends to a NMS or a network monitoring tool without expecting a response. A trap is a fire-and-forget message that does not guarantee delivery or confirmation. An inform is a two-way message that a network device sends to a NMS or a network monitoring tool and expects an acknowledgment. An inform is a reliable message that ensures delivery and confirmation.

3 How do traps and informs improve network performance?

Traps and informs can improve your network performance by providing you with timely and relevant information about your network devices. By using traps and informs, you can monitor the status and health of your network devices, identify potential issues or bottlenecks, and take corrective actions before they affect your network performance. For example, you can use traps and informs to monitor the CPU, memory, disk, or bandwidth utilization of your network devices, and adjust the configuration or resources accordingly.

5 How to use traps and informs with network monitoring tools?

To use traps and informs with network monitoring tools, you need to configure your network devices to send traps and informs to the IP address or hostname of your network monitoring tool. You also need to configure your network monitoring tool to receive traps and informs from your network devices, and to display, filter, or forward them according to your preferences. Some network monitoring tools also allow you to define custom actions or alerts based on the traps and informs you receive, such as sending an email, triggering a script, or logging a ticket.

6 Best practices for using traps and informs

To use traps and informs effectively, it is recommended to use informs for critical events that need confirmation and reliability, and traps for frequent or non-critical events that do not require confirmation and reliability. Additionally, you should use appropriate SNMP versions and security settings for your network devices and network monitoring tools, as well as standard or vendor-specific MIBs to define the format and content of your traps and informs. Furthermore, you should give meaningful and consistent names and descriptions to your traps and informs, as well as use filters and rules to prioritize, categorize, or group them. Lastly, you can use actions and alerts to automate or simplify your response to your traps and informs.