Why does SNMPD hangs with the error 'Too many open files' on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 ?

Solution Verified - Updated -

Issue

  • Why does SNMPD hangs with the error 'Too many open files' ?

  • snmpd fills up open file handles and ceases to function. Following messages are logged in /var/log/messages during the issue :

    snmpd[23681]: warning: cannot open /etc/hosts.allow: Too many open files 
snmpd[23681]: warning: cannot open /etc/hosts.deny: Too many open files 
snmpd[23681]: Connection from UDP: [x.x.x.x]:18328 REFUSED 
snmpd[23681]: /proc/stat: Too many open files 
snmpd[23681]: cannot open /proc/net/dev ... 
snmpd[23681]: could not open /proc/net/arp

Environment

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
  • net-snmp-5.3.2.2-9.el5

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