Dell PowerConnect W-7200 Series ArubaOS 6.2 MIB Reference Guide - Page 10

Figure 1 High Level MIB Hierarchy MIB is one of the elements of Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), which is used to manage network devices. To deliver information between devices, every object referred to in an SNMP message must be listed in the MIB. If a component of a device is not described in a MIB, that component cannot be recognized by SNMP- there is no information for SNMP managers and SNMP agents to exchange. The information provided by a MIB is a file that describes network elements with numerical strings. This information is compiled into readable text by the SNMP manager. For information about reading MIB text files, see "Reading MIB Files" on page 18. SNMP Three significant elements of SNMP are Managers, Agents, and MIBs.  Managers (software application) are consoles that are used to communicate with and manage devices that support SNMP Agents. Managers collect information by polling Agents. Managers can also be used to send configuration updates or send controlling requests to actively manage a network device.  Agents (software application) provide information from the network devices to the Managers. Network devices include workstations, routers, microwave radios, and other network components. Agents are embedded in the controller firmware, unlike some devices such as servers that require the agent to be installed separately. 10 | MIB Overview Dell PowerConnect W-Series ArubaOS 6.2 MIB | Reference Guide