Asynchronous SNMP (asynio, v1arch)#

The asyncio module first appeared in standard library since Python 3.3 (in provisional basis). Its main design feature is that it makes asynchronous code looking like synchronous one thus eliminating “callback hell”.

With asyncio built-in facilities, you could run many SNMP queries in parallel and/or sequentially, interleave SNMP queries with other I/O operations. See asyncio resources repository for other asyncio-compatible modules.

In most examples approximate analogues of well known Net-SNMP snmp* tools command line options are shown. That may help those readers who, by chance are familiar with Net-SNMP tools, better understanding what example code doe

Here’s a quick example on a simple SNMP GET by high-level API:

  • with SNMPv1, community ‘public’

  • over IPv4/UDP

  • to an Agent at demo.pysnmp.com:161

  • for the 1.3.6.1.2.1.1.1.0 OID (e.g. SNMPv2-MIB::sysDescr.0 MIB object)

  • Based on asyncio I/O framework

import asyncio
from pysnmp.hlapi.v1arch.asyncio import *


async def run():
    snmpDispatcher = SnmpDispatcher()

    iterator = await getCmd(
        snmpDispatcher,
        CommunityData("public", mpModel=0),
        await UdpTransportTarget.create(("demo.pysnmp.com", 161)),
        ("1.3.6.1.2.1.1.1.0", None),
    )

    errorIndication, errorStatus, errorIndex, varBinds = iterator

    if errorIndication:
        print(errorIndication)

    elif errorStatus:
        print(
            "{} at {}".format(
                errorStatus.prettyPrint(),
                errorIndex and varBinds[int(errorIndex) - 1][0] or "?",
            )
        )
    else:
        for varBind in varBinds:
            print(" = ".join([x.prettyPrint() for x in varBind]))

    snmpDispatcher.transportDispatcher.closeDispatcher()


asyncio.run(run())

The following code performs a series of SNMP GETNEXT operations effectively fetching a table of SNMP variables from SNMP Agent:

  • with SNMPv2c, community ‘public’

  • over IPv4/UDP

  • to an Agent at demo.pysnmp.com:161

  • for all OIDs past SNMPv2-MIB::system

  • run till end-of-mib condition is reported by Agent

  • based on asyncio I/O framework

import asyncio
from pysnmp.hlapi.v1arch.asyncio import *


async def run(varBinds):
    snmpDispatcher = SnmpDispatcher()

    while True:
        iterator = await bulkCmd(
            snmpDispatcher,
            CommunityData("public"),
            await UdpTransportTarget.create(("demo.pysnmp.com", 161)),
            0,
            50,
            *varBinds
        )

        errorIndication, errorStatus, errorIndex, varBindTable = iterator

        if errorIndication:
            print(errorIndication)
            break

        elif errorStatus:
            print(
                "{} at {}".format(
                    errorStatus.prettyPrint(),
                    errorIndex and varBinds[int(errorIndex) - 1][0] or "?",
                )
            )
        else:
            for varBind in varBindTable:
                print(" = ".join([x.prettyPrint() for x in varBind]))

        varBinds = varBindTable
        if isEndOfMib(varBinds):
            break

    snmpDispatcher.transportDispatcher.closeDispatcher()


asyncio.run(run([ObjectType(ObjectIdentity("SNMPv2-MIB", "sysDescr"))]))

More examples on Command Generator API usage follow.

Sending SNMP TRAP’s and INFORM’s is as easy with PySNMP library. The following code sends SNMP TRAP:

  • SNMPv1

  • with community name ‘public’

  • over IPv4/UDP

  • send TRAP notification

  • with Generic Trap #1 (warmStart) and Specific Trap 0

  • with default Uptime

  • with default Agent Address

  • with Enterprise OID 1.3.6.1.4.1.20408.4.1.1.2

  • include managed object information ‘1.3.6.1.2.1.1.1.0’ = ‘my system’

import asyncio
from pysnmp.hlapi.v1arch.asyncio import *


async def run():
    snmpDispatcher = SnmpDispatcher()

    iterator = await sendNotification(
        snmpDispatcher,
        CommunityData("public", mpModel=0),
        await UdpTransportTarget.create(("demo.pysnmp.com", 162)),
        "trap",
        NotificationType(ObjectIdentity("1.3.6.1.6.3.1.1.5.2"))
        .loadMibs("SNMPv2-MIB")
        .addVarBinds(
            ("1.3.6.1.6.3.1.1.4.3.0", "1.3.6.1.4.1.20408.4.1.1.2"),
            ("1.3.6.1.2.1.1.1.0", OctetString("my system")),
        ),
    )

    errorIndication, errorStatus, errorIndex, varBinds = iterator

    if errorIndication:
        print(errorIndication)

    snmpDispatcher.transportDispatcher.closeDispatcher()


asyncio.run(run())

More examples on Notification Originator API usage follow.

More sophisticated or less popular SNMP operations can still be performed with PySNMP through its Native API to Standard SNMP Applications.