Products
Association
|
|
Multifunction Products Association |
| Activities: Projects: MIB: MIB Overview | |
|
Configuration Management OverviewMIB stands for "Management Information Bases" and originated as a means to control the overall configuration and to aid in monitoring Internet-resident devices such as routers and switches which may be largely in remote locations. A MIB document describes a data set with a simple set of data types and with table-based structure. The MIB document can be easily read by an engineer or programmer and it is sufficiently concise such that it can also be compiled to directly generate code that operates on the MIB data structure.The protocol "SNMP" (Simple Network Management Protocol) is most often used to work with the MIB databases. It is limited in complexity so that it would be less complex than the other protocol engines that it is meant to monitor. To determine the state of a device that is to be managed by SNMP and a MIB definition, it is necessary to query the device to determine its current state. There is also the facility to provide "traps" that can provide asynchronous information about the device, usually resulting in the monitoring device querying the managed device using SNMP requests. The data that is monitored by these MIBs is generally somewhat static in nature, such as the state of queues, paper sources, consumables, model type, options installed, etc. Job-by-job information is generally not considered appropriate for SNMP and MIB architecture. Although SNMP and MIBs has a significant amount of inertia, since many, many devices have been modeled and can be managed using SNMP and MIBs. (There is even a (joke) MIB for "Drip-type beverage preparation devices", i.e. "Coffee-maker"). In spite of this inertia, there is certainly acknowledgment that the MIB structures are limited in complexity and flexibility, and that SNMP is no longer always the best choice, for several technical reasons. Using HTML and HTTP is currently a very popular approach to providing management information. It is important to note that Microsoft does not embrace SNMP or MIB technology. With these facts in mind, the MFPA technical committee decided that there was sufficient benefit in creating these MIB definitions. The act of modeling the device is a useful activity that can be used by other standards activities, and the tabular structures and underlying methods for describing the attributes of the machine can be used in alternative representations and with other protocols. For example, how should we specify color-space, paper size, print technology, and scan resolutions available? MFP relevant MIB definitionsOne of the more important MIB definition document is RFC-1579, the Printer MIB. This document was generated by the Printer Working Group. The MFPA has actively involved in the generation of the MFP-MIB, Scanner-MIB, and Fax-MIB. These can be used in conjunction with the Printer-MIB to create management information for digital copiers, scanners, printers, fax-MFPs, and other document-oriented equipment. These projects are separately described in separate documents and represent separate, yet highly coupled standards document projects.More InformationPlease see this presentation from IOC'99 (powerpoint) which summarizes the MIB work in general and quite a bit about the scanner MIB. |
 |
MFPA Overview
Activities
Meetings
MIB Overview