SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is a protocol that allows network managers to monitor and control network devices using a set of standardized messages and data structures. SNMP uses a client-server model, where the network manager (client) sends requests to the network device (server) and receives responses. The network device has an SNMP agent that collects and reports the data using a MIB (Management Information Base), which is a hierarchical database of variables that describe the device’s status and configuration. Each variable in the MIB has a unique identifier called an OID (Object Identifier), which is a dot-separated sequence of numbers that follows a tree structure12.

To retrieve a single value in SNMP, you can use two types of requests: GET and GET NEXT. A GET request asks for the value of a specific OID, and the SNMP agent responds with the value if it exists, or an error if it does not. A GET NEXT request asks for the value of the next OID in the MIB tree, and the SNMP agent responds with the value and the OID of the next variable, or an error if there is no next variable. A GET NEXT request can be useful for discovering the OIDs and values of a device, or for iterating over a table of values34.

A GET VALUE request is not a valid SNMP request, and a GET TABLE request is not a single request, but a series of GET NEXT requests that retrieve all the values in a table . References: 1: SNMP Basics, 2: SNMP Tutorial Part 1 – Understanding MIBs and OIDs, 3: SNMP Tutorial Part 2 – SNMP Get, GetNext, GetBulk, 4: SNMP Commands, : SNMP Table Operations, : SNMP Table Retrieval

You can share with others the PerfStack URL of any troubleshooting project you save in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console. PerfStack is a feature that allows you to create and customize interactive and dynamic charts that correlate time series data from multiple SolarWinds products and entity types. When you save a troubleshooting project, the URL becomes a sharable link that you can copy and paste to other users, such as your team members, network administrators, or product owners. The URL contains a compressed version of the project data, so it does not exceed the browser character limit. The users who receive the link can access the same project view as you, as long as they have the appropriate account permissions and limitations. References: Troubleshooting Analysis Projects, Create analysis projects with the Performance Analysis dashboard, Share analysis projects.

An OID (Object Identifier) is a unique identifier for a specific variable in a MIB (Management Information Base) that can be polled or monitored by SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). However, not all OIDs are supported by all devices or SNMP agents, which are software components that collect and report the MIB data. If you select an OID that is not supported by the device or the SNMP agent, you will get an “OID not supported” error when you try to create a custom poller for that device in NPM (Network Performance Monitor). This means that the device or the SNMP agent does not have the information for that OID or does not respond to the SNMP request for that OID12.

To resolve this issue, you can try the following steps34:

• Verify that the device supports the OID that you want to monitor. You can use the MIB Browser or the MIB Walk tool to browse the MIB tree of the device and find the OID. You can also check the device vendor’s documentation or website for the supported OIDs and MIBs.
• Verify that the SNMP agent on the device is configured properly and has the latest version. You may need to update the SNMP agent or enable some features or extensions to support the OID. You can also check the SNMP agent’s logs or status for any errors or warnings.
• Verify that the SNMP credentials and settings are correct and match the device’s configuration. You may need to use a different SNMP version, community string, port, or timeout value to communicate with the device. You can also test the SNMP connectivityusing the SNMP Test tool or the Test button in the UnDP (Universal Device Poller) application.
• Verify that there are no network issues or firewalls that are blocking the SNMP traffic between the NPM server and the device. You may need to allow the SNMP protocol and port on the firewall or router, or use a different network path or interface to reach the device. You can also use the Ping or Traceroute tools to check the network connectivity and latency.

References: 1: What is an OID?5, 2: The OID is not supported, 3: Troubleshoot Unknown Nodes, 4: Troubleshoot SNMP issues

 NetPath is a feature of NPM that helps you identify network problems faster by automatically creating a map of the problem area, with a wide variety of supporting information. NetPath displays the performance details of devices inside and outside of your network. NetPath can analyze paths to any network segment, whether it is on-premise, cloud, or hybrid. NetPath uses distributed monitoring and path analysis to discover how applications are delivered through the network to your users. You can deploy agents on Windows computers that act as synthetic users and use advanced probing to discover and test the network path that traffic takes to any network endpoint, such as your local file print server, your website, or external websites. NetPath can also incorporate data from NPM, NCM, and NTA about your on-premises gear, as well as data from the Internet nodes and providers12. References: 1: Discover your network paths in NPM3, 2: NetPath - Easy Visual Network Path Analysis | SolarWinds4

Orion Maps show you how entities are connected based on the data collected by the Orion Platform products. To display the connections between the nodes in Orion Maps, you need to enable Layer 2 and Layer 3 topology polling on those nodes. This will allow the Orion Platform to discover the network topology using protocols such as CDP, LLDP, or ARP. You can enable topology polling on individual nodes or in bulk using the Manage Nodes feature in the web console. You can also customize the topology polling settings and frequency on the Orion Polling Settings page. References: Intelligent Maps for SolarWinds Platform products; Understand connections on Intelligent Maps in the SolarWinds Platform; Network Mapping Tool – Automated Network Mapping | SolarWinds

NPM requires only one agent for Quality of Experience, NetPath, and system monitoring on the same Windows server. The agent is a software component that collects data from the server and sends it to the Orion server1. The agent can perform multiple tasks, such as packet analysis, network path analysis, and system health monitoring, depending on the configuration and the license2. You can install the agent on the server either manually or remotely from the Orion Web Console3. References: 1: Network Performance Monitor Administrator Guide - Agents 2: Network Performance Monitor Getting Started Guide - Monitor with agents 3: Network Performance Monitor Installation Guide - Install agents

According to the SolarWinds NPM Administrator Guide, you can use Orion groups to organize your network objects based on any criteria, such as location, device type, department, etc. You can then apply account limitations based on Orion groups to restrict user access to only the network objects that belong to a specific group. For example, you can create two Orion groups, one for Sydney and one for Perth, and assign the devices in each location to the corresponding group. Then, you can use the single group Account limitation to limit the users in Sydney to only view the Sydney group, and the users in Perth to only view the Perth group. References: SolarWinds NPM Administrator Guide, page 163-165; Limit users to specific network areas in the SolarWinds Platform