VARIABLES

Section: File Formats (5)
Updated: 17 September 1989
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NAME

variables - Format of specifying variable names to SNMP tools.

SYNOPSIS

system.sysdescr.0

DESCRIPTION

Variable names are in the format of Object Identifiers (ASN.1). There are several methods of representation. Each variable name is given in the format of A.B.C.D..., where A, B, C, and D are subidentifiers in one of two forms of notation. Each subidentifier may be encoded as a decimal integer, or a symbol as found in the RFC1066 MIB. The case of the symbols is not significant.
If there is no leading "." in the variable name, the name will be formed as if having been preceded with "iso.org.dod.internet.mgmt.mib.". A "." must be placed before the first variable if the user is to fully specify the name. For example:

1.1.0 system.sysDescr.0 and 1.sysDescr.0

all refer to the same variable name. Likewise:

.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.1.0 .iso.org.dod.internet.mgmt.mib.system.sysdescr.0 .1.3.6.1.2.1.1.sysdescr.0

All refer to the same variable name.

The description of the variables in the MIB is given in a file named mib.txt in the current directory or in a file named in the environment variable MIBFILE or in /etc/mib.txt. These files are searched in the above order. The files are in the ASN.1 notation and use the OBJECT TYPE macro defined in RFC 1065. Most of the file describing the RFC 1066 MIB is pulled out of RFC 1066 without change.

BUGS

The parser of the mib.txt file is not expected to handle bizarre (although correct) interpretations of the ASN.1 notation.