SNMP Extensibility Feature

One of the principal components of an SNMP manager is a MIB Compiler, which allows new MIB objects to be added to the management system. When a MIB is compiled into an SNMP manager, the manager is made "aware" of new objects that are supported by agents on the network. The concept is similar to adding a new schema to a database.

Typically, when a MIB is compiled into the system, the manager creates new folders or directories that correspond to the objects. These folders or directories can typically be viewed with a "MIB Browser", which is a traditional SNMP management tool incorporated into virtually all network management systems.

The act of compiling the MIB allows the manager to know about the special objects supported by the agent and access these objects as part of the standard object set.