SNMP is a protocol for typical management of TCP/IP networks, from the application layer, which makes it easy to exchange information among network devices such as routers, switches, and hosts. This protocol allows network administrators to manage network connectivity and performance, find and solve any network problem, and provide information for planning network expansion, among other possibilities.

The network management application does not follow a conventional Client-Server model, because for some operations the management station behaves as a client while the network device to be analyzed or monitored behaves as a server, while in a Trap operation the opposite occurs, because when sending alarms the managed device starts the communication. Because of that, network management systems avoid using the terms client and server, opting for Manager for the application executing in the management station and Agent for the application executing in the network device.