Modifying SNMP to conditionally map MIB fields

Question

• One printer manufacturer does not store the serial number in the serial number field for SNMP discovery, can I modify the the SNMP configuration files to pull the information from another field?

Environment

• Admin access to an Asset application:
  • Global TDAdmin access OR
  • Application Admin access to the Asset application
• Asset Discovery (paid add-on)
• Server/VM Access within your organization to the place where Asset Discovery has been installed

Answer

You can review the snmpconfig.json file alongside the snmpents.txt file to identify relevant fields and data and conditionally define how certain values map to discovered values in the TDX system.  This process does not bring in new or additional discovered fields or data, it simply maps data stored in unconventional locations by a manufacturer to predictable existing fields.

1. Copy the contents of the snmpconfig.json file
   1. In the Conditional Value section of that file
      1. Copy a condition entry for a related device
      2. Modify the "Condition": statement in quotation marks to match your needs, potentially referencing an alternate Manufacturer ID, or adding an additional condition values.  You may need to reference the snmpents.txt file to determine these values
      3. Modify the "Value": entry to reference the field used by the vendor for the value in question
   2. In the MibEntries section
      1. Copy an MIB entry for a related device, likely the same device type as the previous step
      2. Modify the "Name": to match the Value identified in the Condition Value
      3. Modify the "Id": to match the OID value as identified by walking the data
   3. Save the file
2. Place the file in the config and custom folders of your Asset Discovery installation.
   • If prompted to replace the file, click Yes.
   • Based on your installation, your file path will look like this or something similar: 
     • Program Files (x86)\TeamDynamix\TeamDynamix Asset Discovery Scanner\config
     • Program Files (x86)\TeamDynamix\TeamDynamix Asset Discovery Scanner\config\custom 
3. Stop the Asset Discovery service
4. Restart the Asset Discovery service
5. Run a targeted Discovery job on 1 sample device to test the results; if successful expand testing to ensure all devices are detecting correctly

Additional Information

When manufacturers are setting up their devices, they can store metadata about the devices in fields called “mibs”. However, some vendors do not use those fields and store relevant data in other locations. 

• Unlike WMI or SSH, there’s no agreed-upon list of which things go into which fields, although most vendors use the same ones as a matter of best practices. 
• By exploring the information in the JSON and txt files, it is possible to conditionally map values in alternate locations to pre-defined fields in the TDX Asset Discovery process.