SNMP MASTER AGENT THAT TRANSLATES MESSAGES TO A SUB - AGENT PROPRIETARY FORMAT USING A TRANSLATION TABLE BY THE SUB - AGENT

A simple network management protocol (SNMP) manager communicates with an SNMP master agent using an SNMP data unit (PDU). The PDU includes identification data identifying a particular sub-agent and an SNMP command for an associated managed object. The master agent translates the PDU from the SNMP format into a proprietary database record format used by the sub-agent. The master agent translates the SNMP PDU into the proprietary database record format using a translation table provided by the sub-agent. Messages also flow from the sub-agent to the SNMP manager. The master agent translates these messages from the proprietary database record format into an SNMP PDU using the translation table.