SNMP and Streaming Telemetry

This article covers Kentik’s implementation of Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and Streaming Telemetry within the Kentik Data Engine (KDE).

Note: For information about NMS-specific implementations, see NMS via Streaming Telemetry.

SNMP vs. Streaming Telemetry

While both methods provide visibility into network performance, SNMP and ST differ in how data is retrieved and processed:

TIP: For more about Kentik's perspective on Streaming Telemetry, see the blog post Streaming Telemetry for Network Monitoring and Analytics.

Data Support in KDE

The Kentik Data Engine (KDE), a columnar datastore, correlates flow data (NetFlow/sFlow) with SNMP and ST metadata to provide a unified view in Data Explorer.

SNMP Data

If devices are configured for SNMP OID Polling, Kentik stores these two types of data:

• Counter OIDs: Represented as SNMP Metrics (e.g., interface throughput).

• Information OIDs: Represented as SNMP Dimensions (e.g., device metadata).

Streaming Telemetry Data

If devices publish ST data to Kentik, it is integrated into KDE flow records:

• ST Metrics: Functionality equivalent to traditional SNMP metrics; listed in Streaming Telemetry Metrics.

• ST Dimensions: Available when querying ST-derived data; listed in Streaming Telemetry Dimensions.

Deployment & Configuration

Kentik supports a Direct Push architecture: send ST data from supported devices directly to the Kentik Data Engine (KDE).

Supported Platforms

IMPORTANT:

• To request ST collection for your account, contact Customer Care.

• Ensure your ACLs allow outbound UDP traffic to Kentik.

• Vendor support for ST is evolving; contact support to inquire about specific device series.