1. The SNMP Era: Polling & Pulling

SNMP works on a Pull Model. Every 5 minutes (the standard interval), the monitoring server asks the switch: "What is your CPU load? How many bytes passed through Port 1?"

2. Streaming Telemetry: The Push Model

Streaming Telemetry flips the script. Instead of being asked, the device is configured to Subscribe to a data stream. The switch continuously pushes data to a collector as it happens.

• Push Model: Data is sent as soon as it changes or on a precise sub-second interval.
• Model-Driven: Uses YANG models to define exactly what the data looks like, making it easy for automation to parse.
• Encapsulation: Typically uses gRPC (over HTTP/2) and Protocol Buffers for high-efficiency binary serialization.

Comparison Table

Conclusion

While SNMP will remain in the network for legacy device management and basic alerts, Streaming Telemetry is the mandatory standard for high-performance backbone and data center observability. It transforms monitoring from a historical record into a real-time reactive system.