A data string to be compared with the community string of received messages for the purpose of authenticating the message. The default value is 'public'. The community string can be divided into two sections, with syntax: {<agent community string>}[::<subagent community string>] The agent community string length can be 0 to 50 bytes. The total community string length can be 0 to 255 bytes. Since the agent knows only its own community strings, only its community strings will be returned in response to queries, whether via SCF, the SNMP protocol, or the #MGR service point. The following rules apply to setting the agent's community string: 1. The length must be 0 to 50 characters. 2. The community string must not contain successive colons ('::'). 3. The community string must consist entirely of printable characters. If any of these rules is violated, the set is rejected with a 'badValue' errorStatus. The agent does not look at the subagent portion of the community string. Therefore, the subagent portion is defined as OCTET STRING, rather than DisplayString; i.e., it is not restricted to printable characters. This object is accessible only via the #MGR interface.