Thursday, April 29, 2010

snmpd Information Filling up the /var/log/messages File

I am using net-snmp on my linux servers so cacti can poll for data and graph statistics.  I noticed that the /var/log/messages file was filling up with snmpd messages.  All of which were merely informational and benign.  I know snmpd works and is configured properly and those log messages in my /var/log/messages file makes it hard to find anything useful in it.

I found that (at least in the version of net-snmp that I am using) debug logging is turned on by default.  Well, I don't want debug level logging.  In fact I don't want any logging for snmpd to go to my /var/log/messages file.

I run Oracle Enterprise Linux and Ubuntu.

On any flavor of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (example:  RHEL, OEL, CentOS) modify the /etc/sysconfig/snmpd.options file.  If it doesn't exist, create it.

The contents of that file should be changed to this:

     # snmpd command line options
     OPTIONS="-Lf /dev/null -p /var/run/snmpd.pid -a"

This will turn off all logging for snmpd.  Remember to restart snmpd for the changes to take affect.
     service snmpd restart

On Ubuntu edit the /etc/init.d/snmpd file and change the line that looks like this:
     SNMPDOPTS='-Lsd -Lf /dev/null -p /var/run/snmpd.pid'
to this
     SNMPDOPTS='-Lf /dev/null -p /var/run/snmpd.pid'

That's it.  Remember to restart snmpd for the changes to take affect
     /etc/init.d/snmpd restart