Building an SNMP Agent for GNSS Simulation

Introducing API building with Skydel

Thanks to its modern, powerful and intuitive API, Skydel comes bundled with open source client libraries for Python, C# and C++. It features over 600 commands and is very well documented.

The API improves as new features are added to Skydel, synced with the evolution of the software. Programming skills are not needed to understand the capabilities of the API, but advanced users with coding experience will appreciate the ease of use and the depth of the available API commands to create automated test and GNSSGlobal navigation satellite system (GNSS): A general term describing any satellite constellation that provides positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services on a global or regional basis. See also simulation scenarios.

In the video below, our engineering team demonstrates the API capabilities using the Python interactive shell.

Skydel Automation

Building an SNMP agent with Skydel – Classic use case

A good example illustrating the API’s flexibility is customizing your system by using external OID commands using the SNMP network protocol to drive your equipment remotely.

It is possible to build an SNMP subagent using Python Script with specific Skydel API commands which will be a gateway with SNMP daemon running on the system (Linux or Windows OS systems) allowing SNMP management capability.

In this configuration, any Skydel API command can become a new OID (Object Identifier) for the SNMP subagent. This will enable any NMS to “convert” Skydel commands into SNMP set and get requests over the network to drive your Skydel System.

View Online User Manual for Automation and API

Glossary

SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is a widely used application-layer protocol for managing and monitoring network elements. It has been defined by the Internet Architecture Board under RFC-1157 for exchanging management information between network devices and is part of the TCP/IP protocol.

Devices using this protocol need SNMP agents which must be enabled and configured so that they can communicate with Network Management Systems (NMS). The agent is also responsible for controlling the database of control variables defined in the Management Information Base (MIB).

A subagent is an additional SNMP daemon that extends functionality of the master agent.

How to build an SNMP agent using GSG-8

In this configuration, the engineer will be able to monitor the Skydel engine through SNMP – this test scenario aims to be able to check if Skydel’s engine is running properly through SNMP, using set commands to start and stop the engine thanks to a unique OID.

This specific setting displays a MIB Browser running on an external laptop using a Skydel SNMP Stater Kit remotely connected to a GSG8 powered by SKYDEL software.

View Online User Manual for SNMP

Get your Skydel SNMP Starter Kit today

Orolia provides a basic SNMP Starter Kit allowing users to start their integration to manage their Skydel engine through SNMP.

This kit can be customized by adding multiple new API commands which will be converted into new SNMP OIDs to enhance your supervision capability.

The SNMP Starter Kit contains:

skydel_snmp.py Python script designed to play the SNMP subagent role (a bridge between Skydel API commands and SNMP OIDs). Can be customized by user for adding features.

snmp_pass.py Python script designed for global SNMP setting only. No change is needed for adding new OIDs for simple cases.

Install.sh A “Makefile” command you will have to perform each time you change your python scripts for customization purpose.

snmpd.conf Configuration file attached to snmpd daemon.

SKYDEL-MIB.txt MIB file example built on Orolia standard architecture which can be used for customization in link with new OIDs created into the Python script. This MIB file can also be used to feed your NMS or MIB browser to test your system (see Demo example for details).

This SNMP Starter Kit is delivered in Skydel and also available on below.