Networks are very large and have many different devices; there needs to be some sort of monitoring software to ensure that the devices are still functioning. We use two different versions of SNMP:

• Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP): Each network device has an agent installed and is programmed so that if a trigger is met, the SNMP management console is notified. SNMP can monitor the status of network devices and provide reports if required.
• Simple Network Management Protocol Version 3 (SNMP v 3): SNMP v 3 is the secure version of SNMP, as it authenticates and encrypts data packets.