[AGENT++] windows sub-agent, license and compatibility

[Frank Fock]

Hi Hong,

Hong Chen wrote:

>hi folks,
>
>I'm looking for a toolkit to build a sub-agent which runs on both Windows
>and Linux. Agent++ seems promising, but I have a few concerns here:
>
>  
>
Hopefully, I can answer your questions ;-)

>1. packages
>On Windows the master agent would be the native Windows Agent, to build a
>sub-agent, the following packages should be included, I guess,
>    - SNMP++
>    - Agent++
>    - AgentX++ (include Agent++ Win32), to build the sub-agent
>    - AgentPro ( optional ), to generate the frame work from a MIB
>
>Is this list correct ? Is Agent++ free in commercial use? And AgentX++ and
>  
>
Yes, the list is correct and yes, AGENT++ is free for commercial use.

>AgentPro are licensed in commercial use ? If I don't have AgentPro, how
>difficult it would be to create the frame work ?
>
>  
>
Yes, for AgentX++ you need to obtain a site development license. AgenPro
needs to license
AgenPro saves you many hours, especially if you use the provided templates
to customize them for you special needs. Nevertheless, AGENT++ includes many
examples of "simple" instrumentation, so you should be able to create 
the stubs
yourself too.

>2. Compatibility
>Is sub-agent built on AgentPP libraries compatible with native Windows SNMP
>Agent?  If it complies with AgentX protocol, it should. But the Agent++
>  
>
CAUTION! The Windows subagent API has nothing to do with AgentX! It is a 
completely
different interface. The AGENT++Win32 API is compatible with the Windows 
SNMP master
agent, because that it is what it has been built for.

>Win32 readme talks a lot about replacing native Windows SNMP Agent with
>Agent++Win32 master agent, and running native agent and Agent++Win32 Master
>in parallel. If native Windows SNMP Agent and AgentPP-based sub-agent are
>compatible, why should one replace the native one ? Is there any success
>story of co-existing native Windows Agent and AgentPP-based sub-agent ?
>  
>
In fact there are three options:
1. Run a AGENT++Win32 based subagent under the native Windows agent.
2. Run an AGENT++ agent (could be also an AgentX++ master agent) on a 
different port than 161
besides the native master agent.
3. Replace the native master agent by the AgentX++Win32 master agent, to 
get SNMPv3
support, AgentX support, more security and flexibility.

>On Linux, if I want to deploy a AgentPP-based sub-agent, the master agent
>should also be built on AgentPP or  I can run another master agent like
>net-snmp agent? ( net-snmp supports AgentX) Is there any successful story of
>co-existing net-snmp master agent and AgentPP-based sub-agent ?
>
>  
>
It works, however there are (still) some issues in the NET-SNMP AgentX 
implementation,
for example a NET-SNMP subagent does not handle range requests (i.e. 
upper bounds)
correctly and there are also problems with AgentXGetBulk with more than 
one repetition.
For that there is compatibility switch in agentx_def.h
There have been encountered new issues with the NET-SNMP 5.1.1 subagent. 
Those will
be addressed by a new AgentX++ release available tomorrow.

Best regards,
Frank