SNMP Support for IPv6

The transition from IPv4 to IPv6 networks has already begun. NEs must be capable of running IPv6 and transmitting SNMP messages on IPv6 networks.

SNMP does not distinguish between SNMP messages transmitted with IPv4 or IPv6 encapsulated headers. SNMP processes both SNMP IPv4 and SNMP IPv6 messages in the same manner.

SNMP supports IPv6 by:

• Reading SNMP messages

  SNMP can read and process both SNMP IPv4 and IPv6 messages. The two types of messages do not affect each other. NEs can run on either IPv6 networks or IPv4 and IPv6 dual-stack networks.

  Upon receiving a message, an NE first determines whether the packet is an IPv4 or IPv6 packet. Depending on the packet type, it then dispatches the packet to perform a task and processes the packet. A processing result based on the IP protocol type of the packet is sent to the workstation.

  Like SNMP IPv4 messages, IPv6 messages are sent to port 161. NEs can obtain information for both SNMP IPv4 and IPv6 messages by monitoring port 161.

• Sending IPv6-based traps

  Command lines are used to configure a network management host with an IPv6 address. NEs use IPv6 to send traps to the host with this IPv6 address.

SNMP does not support IPv6 Inform packets.

• Recording SNMP IPv6 messages

  The same commands are used to configure SNMP IPv6 and IPv4, but the command outputs for the packets are adapted based on the protocol type.

  NEs separate IPv6 messages from IPv4 messages by automatically matching messages with their upper layer protocols.