This driver is a stand-alone driver. It provides additional functionality to enable ClearSCADA to interface with specific supported systems or devices. To interact successfully with such systems or devices, you need to:
- Install and run the driver
- Ensure that the driver is licensed
- Configure the required database items and settings on the driver
- Ensure that the database items (and any database items on which they depend) have valid, saved, configuration and are 'In Service'.
Intended Audience
This guide is intended for use by all levels of user:
- Engineers who are responsible for configuring SNMP-specific features
- Operators who need to use SNMP-specific actions as part of their duties
- System administrators when diagnosing unexpected behavior relating to SNMP and the SNMP driver.
Document Scope
The SNMP documentation explains how to configure SNMP-specific features and items within the ClearSCADA database (see Configuring SNMP Items in ClearSCADA). It also explains how to:
- Configure SNMP-specific features and items within the ClearSCADA database
- Define whether users can set data values at the SNMP agents
- Operate SNMP-specific actions
- Filter the Alarms List and Events List to show only those entries that are associated with SNMP configuration errors
- Use the SNMP driver-specific features for diagnosis and fault-finding
There are driver-specific features that may be of interest to system administrators and engineers when investigating unexpected system behavior (relating to the SNMP driver). The driver-specific features include:
and driver-specific features that are of interest to operators using the system (see Using SNMP Specific Actions).
Operators can filter Alarm and Event Lists to display only those entries that are associated with SNMP Configuration Errors (see SNMP Specific Alarm and Event Categories).
Prerequisite Reading
This guide contains technical information that is intended for users that are sufficiently familiar with ClearSCADA configuration and operation. Before reading this driver guide, ensure that you are familiar with:
- ClearSCADA configuration practices, procedures, and the configuration of properties that are common to many database items. For more information, see the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Configuration, and the ClearSCADA Guide to Core Point Configuration.
- Driver structure, components, and configuration properties, pick actions, and status attributes that are common to many drivers. For more information, see the ClearSCADA Guide to Drivers.
Some sections of this guide are intended for operator-level users. These sections are intended for users that are familiar with the navigational and operational aspects of ClearSCADA. Before reading the operational sections in this guide, ensure that you are familiar with:
- The ClearSCADA user interfaces (ViewX and WebX), the various types of display, their navigation and operation. For more information, see the ClearSCADA Guide to ViewX and WebX Clients.
The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is the standard network operations and maintenance protocol. The SNMP protocol can be used to remotely monitor and manage networked devices over a Local Area Network (LAN) or Wide Area Network (WAN). The protocol can run on top of other protocols, other than TCP/IP.
The syntax used for SNMP is Abstract Syntax Notation 1 (ASN.1). The syntax is used, for example, to define the type of data that is being retrieved using the SNMP protocol. The protocol works by using software ‘agents’ that are embedded into the networked devices in order to monitor various aspects of network status, such as events, network traffic, or device status. The SNMP driver acts as an SNMP Manager to retrieve such data from the SNMP agents, or control the data values. ClearSCADA’s SNMP driver supports SNMP version 1, 2 and 3.
Using ClearSCADA’s SNMP driver, you can retrieve current point data (by specifying a Poll action), or alarms and significant events (by specifying a Trap action—see Understanding TRAPS and INFORM Requests). You can also specify whether users can set data values at the SNMP agents.
For a list of data types supported by ClearSCADA, see ASN Data Type.