Which statement accurately describes an agent in the material?

• A. SNMP is optional for a managed device.
• B. BPDU has no role in topology.
• C. An agent is network management software running on a managed device and communicates via SNMP.
• D. A managed device does not contain any SNMP component.

Answer: (C)

In this context, an agent is the software that runs on a device being managed and communicates with a central manager using SNMP. The agent gathers information about the device, exposes it through the Management Information Base (MIB), and responds to the manager’s requests (like Get or GetNext) or actions (Set). It can also send traps to alert the manager about significant events. This SNMP-based dialogue between the agent on the device and the manager is what enables centralized monitoring and control. The other statements don’t fit: BPDU frames are fundamental to building and maintaining network topology in spanning-tree protocols, so saying they play no role in topology is inaccurate; and a managed device typically includes an SNMP component to enable management, making the claim that none exists false.