Updated: ARP "U" status, incomplete entry

From: Webpro (pchandyman@pacbell.net)
Date: Tue Jul 13 2004 - 16:14:51 EDT


More info:

  Two other machines on the same subnet do not run
into this problem. Also, it happens more frequently
when the load on the machine increases (machine
requesting the arp, not the destination). The machine
is not overloaded.

  I have a simple arp test shell script running on
four machines. The script, forever loop, arps (as
below) then sleeps a second. If the problem occurs,
it is on a 5 minute cycle (arp cache timeout cycle),
has incomplete for 40 seconds, then is OK. Sometimes,
it extends to 80 seconds, occasionally 120 seconds,
and rarely 160 seconds. This problem has only been
seen between machine B and machine A. More
investigation is needed to see if it is happening
elsewhere and how often. Reboots do not solve the
problem, netstat -ns has no anomalies, kstat -m xxx -i
x has no anomalies.

Machine B arps Machine A (Incomplete)
Machine C arps Machine A OK
Machine D arps Machine A OK
Machine A arps Machien B OK

   Webpro <pchandyman@pacbell.net> wrote:
 I have narrowed down some problems to a server
 having
 and "incomplete" status. This state can last a
 couple
 minutes.
 
 As the ARP cache times out and a new ARP request for
 the host is sent, there appears to be a 40 second
 timeout (I am unable to locate a way to change this)
 and the arp -a status for the host is "U"
 incomplete.
 After which time, another arp is sent and the
 process
 continues until a response is received.
 
 Theory is that the arp reply is not making it back
 to
 the server, but I cannot duplicate this state by
 arping a non-existant host on the same subnet. In
 this case, I the status is always "no entry".
 
 My theory is that the entry must have existed in the
 arp cache at the same time it is timing out, a new
 arp
 for the host is sent and the entry does not get
 deleted, just status changed to incomplete waiting
 for
 a response from the host.
 
 I am now tired from reading numerous google hits
 saying the same thing. Does anyone have some
 experience with arp and this type of challenge?
 
 Thanks,
 
 Joe
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