Initial Configuration › Configure CA Network Flow Analysis to Work with CA Performance Center › SNMP Profiles › Add SNMP Profiles

Add SNMP Profiles

Administrators can create SNMP profiles in the CA Performance Center console. CA Network Flow Analysis uses SNMP profiles to query devices for data. You can create profiles for SNMPv1/v2c or for SNMPv3.

Follow these steps:

1. Log in to the CA Performance Center console as a user with the Administrator role.
2. Navigate to the Manage SNMP Profiles page.

   The Manage SNMP Profiles page displays the current list of SNMP profiles.

3. Click New.

   The Add SNMP Profile dialog opens.

4. Complete the fields and change default settings as needed. Some fields apply only to SNMPv3 or SNMPv.1/v2C

   Profile Name

   Defines a name for the SNMP profile. Profile names must be unique, cannot be duplicated across SNMP versions, and are not case-sensitive.

   SNMP Version

   Specifies the version of SNMP that the profile uses. Because SNMPv1 and SNMPv2C are similar from a security standpoint, they share a single option. SNMPv3 is a separate option.

   Port

   Identifies the port that is used to make SNMP connections to devices associated with this profile.

   Default: UDP 161.

   User Name

   (SNMPv3 Only) Identifies the user for the profile, whose secret keys were used potentially to authenticate and encrypt the SNMPv3 packets. The User Name is a character string.

   Community Name

   (SNMPv1/v2C Only) Defines a secure string that lets the data source query the MIB of the associated device. The community that you supply must provide read-only access to the device MIB.

   Note: In the default SNMP profile, the community is 'public'.

   Verify Community Name

   Confirms the secure community string (name).

   Context Name

   Specifies a collection of management information that is accessible by an SNMP entity. The Context Name is necessary for providing end-to-end identification and for retrieving data from an SNMPv3 agent. The Context Name is an octet string.

   Authentication Protocol

   Specifies the authentication protocol to use when contacting devices associated with this profile. Select one of the following algorithms for authenticating SNMPv3 packets:

   • None (do not attempt authentication)
   • MD5 (Message Digest 5)
   • SHA (Secure Hash Algorithm)

   Authentication Password

   Specifies the password for authentication using SNMPv3 and the selected authentication protocol.

   Note: For SNMP profiles that are used with CA Network Flow Analysis, make sure you specify a password that is at least eight characters long. If the password does not meet this requirement, the SNMP profile will be invalid and no SNMP data will be returned when the SNMP profile is used for polling. In this case the corresponding interfaces and devices in views, reports, and dashboards are missing device names, interface names, interface speeds, and interface utilization data.

   Verify Authentication Password

   Confirms the authentication password.

   Privacy Protocol

   (Optional) Specifies the encryption protocol to use for data flows sent to any devices or servers associated with this profile. Select one of the following protocols to create a valid SNMP profile for CA Network Flow Analysis polling:

   • None (do not encrypt communications)
   • DES
   • AES (128-bit encryption)
   • Triple DES

   Note: If AES 192 and AES 256 options are listed, do not select either of those options, as they are not supported for CA Network Flow Analysis. If the SNMP profile you create is not valid, no SNMP data is returned for devices and interfaces that use it. In this case the corresponding interfaces and devices in views, reports, and dashboards in CA Network Flow Analysis and CA Performance Center are missing device names, interface names, interface speeds, and interface utilization data.

   The privacy protocol option is not enabled until authentication is enabled for this profile.

   Privacy Password

   Defines the password used when exchanging encryption keys. See the Note for a possible length requirement.

   Verify Privacy Password

   Defines the password used when exchanging encryption keys.

   Use by default for new devices

   Specifies whether the information in this profile is used by default. CA Performance Center uses this information to contact any new items that are discovered from monitored traffic. If it fails, the next profile in priority order is used. Disable this parameter to exclude a profile from discovery.

   Note: This parameter does not apply to CA Infrastructure Management Data Aggregator data sources.

5. Click Save.
6. You return to the Manage SNMP Profiles page. The new profile appears in the list.

   CA Performance Center automatically performs a global synchronization to send the profile information to all registered data sources.