What does Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) allow network administrators to do?

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is specifically designed for network management. It allows network administrators to exchange management information between networked devices, which is essential for tasks such as monitoring network performance, tracking device status, and managing configurations. Through SNMP, a centralized management system can query network devices and receive notifications about their status, making it easier to maintain the health and efficiency of a network.

This exchange of information is vital for diagnosing issues, optimizing performance, and ensuring that the network operates smoothly. While other functions, such as securing data or establishing connections, are important in networking, they do not fall under the primary purpose of SNMP, which focuses on management and monitoring rather than data encryption or hardware connections.