snmpd returns "truncating integer value > 32 bits" after 497 days from boot

Solution Verified - Updated -

Environment

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
  • net-snmp

Issue

  • snmpd returns the following messages after 497 days from boot:
Apr 7 11:11:29 HOSTNAME snmpd[XXXX]: truncating integer value > 32 bits
  • Why does snmpd return this message?
  • Are there ways to avoid this messages, like package update?

Resolution

  • This message is not output if no queries to OIDs with values >32bits are done.
  • It is possible to use "view systemview excluded " in snmpd.conf. With this, uids which might get >32bit values can be excluded. This will only help for queries which use the OID directly and not the MIB name (i.e. hrSystemUptime)
  • logging from snmpd can be modified to prevent the message. Using

    OPTIONS="-LS0-2d -Lf /dev/null -p /var/run/snmpd.pid"
    

    in /etc/sysconfig/snmpd will lead to the message no longer getting logged.

  • If the systems elapsed time is more than 497 days, this messages would be output when hrSystemUptime or its OID .1.3.6.1.2.1.25.1.1.0 are read.
  • If the message truncating integer value > 32 bits is observed after reading sysUpTime, then restarting the snmpd is resetting the counter and thus preventing the message. sysUpTime means the time elapsed from starting snmpd, not from starting up system. When the value of sysUpTime overflowed, the value of hrSystemUptime also should have overflowed.

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