In IP-based enterprise and campus networking, which standard protocol is primarily used for network management and monitoring tasks such as reading/writing Management Information Base (MIB) variables and receiving asynchronous alerts (traps) from devices?

Introduction / Context:
Network administrators need a consistent way to monitor device health, collect performance counters, change configuration parameters safely, and receive alerts when something goes wrong. Over IP networks, this role is served by a well-known management protocol implemented in routers, switches, firewalls, servers, printers, and many IoT devices.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question is about a standard protocol for network management features over IP.
• Common management tasks include querying counters, setting parameters, and receiving traps or notifications.
• Devices expose data via a structured hierarchy (Management Information Base, or MIB).

Concept / Approach:
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is the de facto standard for IP network management. Managers (NMS tools) issue Get, GetNext, GetBulk, and Set operations to agents running on devices, which expose MIB objects. Devices can also send unsolicited Trap or Inform messages to notify about events (e.g., link down, temperature threshold, authentication failure). SNMP exists in versions v1, v2c, and v3; SNMPv3 adds user-based security with authentication and privacy (encryption).

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Operationally, NMS platforms (e.g., open-source and commercial tools) use SNMP polling to build time-series graphs (CPU, memory, interface throughput) and rely on SNMP traps for events. Vendor MIBs extend the standard MIB-II to expose model-specific information, illustrating the breadth and standardization of SNMP-based management.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• SNA: IBM Systems Network Architecture; not the IP-era standard for general network management.
• FTP: a file transfer protocol; not a management protocol.
• SMS: short message service; unrelated to network device management.
• Telnet: interactive terminal access; useful for manual administration but not for structured monitoring.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing command-line access (Telnet/SSH) with programmatic management; assuming syslog alone is enough (syslog complements SNMP events but does not provide structured polling). Also, using SNMPv2c community strings without restricting access can expose sensitive device data—prefer SNMPv3 for security.

Final Answer:
SNMP