Which of the following is the main purpose of SNMP?

Explanation:

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)

Definition: The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is a standard protocol used for managing and monitoring devices on a network. It enables network administrators to manage network performance, find and solve network problems, and plan for network growth. SNMP is part of the Internet Protocol Suite as defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

SNMP operates by exchanging management information between network devices. The protocol consists of three primary components: managed devices, agents, and network management systems (NMS). Managed devices are network nodes such as routers, switches, servers, and workstations, which contain an SNMP agent that communicates with the NMS.

The agent is a software module that resides on the managed device and translates the device information into a compatible format for SNMP. The NMS is software that runs on a server and is used to monitor network nodes through SNMP. The NMS can send requests to agents to retrieve or set configuration parameters, while agents can send alerts (called SNMP traps) to the NMS if certain conditions arise.

Additional Information 

Let's evaluate why the other options are not the main purpose of SNMP:

While SNMP version 3 provides encryption features to enhance security, encryption is not the main purpose of SNMP. The primary function of SNMP is to monitor and manage network devices, not to encrypt data. Encryption is typically handled by other protocols such as TLS (Transport Layer Security) or IPsec (Internet Protocol Security).

Authentication for web servers is usually managed by protocols like HTTP, HTTPS, and various authentication mechanisms (e.g., OAuth, LDAP). SNMP is not designed to handle web server authentication; its primary role is in network management and monitoring.

File transfers are typically managed by protocols such as FTP (File Transfer Protocol), SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol), or SCP (Secure Copy Protocol). SNMP does not facilitate file transfers; instead, it is used for network management tasks such as monitoring device performance and managing network configurations.

• Option 1: Encrypting network data
• Option 3: Providing authentication for web servers
• Option 4: Facilitating file transfers