SNMP-compliant devices, called agents, are the entities that interface with the actual devices being managed. Bridges, Hubs, Routers, or network servers are examples of managed devices. After the SNMP adapter is created, it must be configured to communicate with your SNMP agents. This step requires setting up the Model Repository. The Model Repository is a set of models that describe the data being monitored by the SNMP agents with which the SNMP adapter communicates. A model can be thought of as an object hierarchy template for structuring objects managed by the various managed devices.
The managed devices contain objects, such as hardware, configuration parameters, and performance statistics. These objects are arranged in what is known as a virtual information database, called a Management Information Base, also called MIB. SNMP allows managers and agents to communicate for the purpose of accessing these objects.