1. A computer-implemented method, comprising steps: receiving a simple network management protocol (SNMP) management information base (MIB) definition file; identifying, in the MIB definition file, one or more SNMP notification varbind information and columnar index information, each containing textual names of objects and indices respectively; compiling the MIB definition file into a compiled MIB file comprising storing in the compiled MIB file the textual names from the MIB definition file; wherein compiling comprises storing in the compiled MIB file, an object identifier, an object textual name and instance information including at least: an ordered list of one or more index textual names or an implied encoding; causing generating a user interface having values based on the textual names from the compiled MIB file; receiving user input selecting values corresponding to the textual names and setting one or more network management system (NMS) event descriptions or event correlation rules based on the selected values; creating a NMS configuration file that is configured to cause a NMS at runtime to include and use the event descriptions or the event correlation rules, and the compiled MIB file, in SNMP notification configuration or event correlation functions; wherein the steps are performed by one or more processors.