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Demystifying the MIB

What is the MIB?

The MIB, or Management Information Base, is an ASCII text file that describes SNMP network elements as a list of data objects. Think of it as a dictionary of the SNMP language - every object referred to in an SNMP message must be listed in the MIB.

What does the MIB do?

The fundamental purpose of the MIB is to translate numerical strings into human-readable text. When an SNMP device sends a Trap or other message, it identifies each data object in the message with a number string called an object identifier, or OID. (OIDs are defined more fully later in this paper.)

The MIB provides a text label called for each OID. Your SNMP manager uses the MIB as a codebook for translating the OID numbers into a human-readable display.

Why do I need the MIB?

Your SNMP manager needs the MIB in order to process messages from your devices. Without the MIB, the message is just a meaningless string of numbers.

How do I get the MIB into my SNMP manager?

Your SNMP manager imports the MIB through a software function called compiling. Compiling converts the MIB from its raw ASCII format into a binary format the SNMP manager can use.

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