Which protocol is commonly used to monitor network devices and performance metrics?

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Multiple Choice

Which protocol is commonly used to monitor network devices and performance metrics?

Explanation:
SNMP is the protocol designed for network management and monitoring. It works with an agent running on each device that exposes performance and status data in a structured set called a Management Information Base (MIB). A central manager polls these MIB objects to gather current metrics—like CPU load, memory usage, interface counters, and error rates—or it can receive traps, which are automatic alerts when certain thresholds are exceeded. This combination of centralized data collection and event-driven notifications makes it ideal for continuously monitoring many devices across a network, and it’s widely supported across vendors. In contrast, HTTP is for web traffic and web pages, FTP is for file transfers, and DNS resolves domain names to IP addresses; none of these are primarily used to monitor devices and performance metrics in a network. SNMP provides the standardized framework for visibility and alerting in network management.

SNMP is the protocol designed for network management and monitoring. It works with an agent running on each device that exposes performance and status data in a structured set called a Management Information Base (MIB). A central manager polls these MIB objects to gather current metrics—like CPU load, memory usage, interface counters, and error rates—or it can receive traps, which are automatic alerts when certain thresholds are exceeded. This combination of centralized data collection and event-driven notifications makes it ideal for continuously monitoring many devices across a network, and it’s widely supported across vendors. In contrast, HTTP is for web traffic and web pages, FTP is for file transfers, and DNS resolves domain names to IP addresses; none of these are primarily used to monitor devices and performance metrics in a network. SNMP provides the standardized framework for visibility and alerting in network management.

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