Dell PowerConnect 6024F: %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow

Hello,

I have recently purchased Dell PowerConnect 6024F for core-routing usage in my business network. It is connected connected to Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series through 6 etherchannel (LAG) links and bridged equipment (used for network filtering) through another 4 etherchannel (LAG) links that connect to Cisco Catalyst 5500 series. 6024F routes 18.000 active IPs (splitted in 70x /24 blocks, netmask: 255.255.255.0) into <1000 MACs while I am planning in the near future to add additional IP blocks (possibly another 30.000 IPs, splitted in /24 blocks, netmask: 255.255.255.0).

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Cisco Catalyst 6500 series
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..|...|...|...|...|...|...
..|...|...|...|...|...|...
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.Dell Power Connect 6024F.
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..|......|......|......|..
.BRG....BRG....BRG....BRG.
..|......|......|......|..
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Cisco Catalyst 5500 series
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So far everything works smoothly, however I have been facing some problems:

Problem 1: ARP Table Overflows
6024F keeps reporting twice a minute (~30 secs interval) that ARP Table Overflows (%ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow). Although I have not noticed any kind of problems (i.e routing issues, decreased network performance), I'm seriously concerned of problems that may occur since it's already brought in production use.

Questions:
a. Routing 18.000 IPs (into <1000 MACs) or even 48.000 IPs (in near future) is beyond 6024F's routing capabilities ?
b. Show arp command shows 8200 IPs instead of all the IPs, is this a listing limitation (i.e 8192 lines) of show arp or ARP table records limitation (i.e 8192 IPs) ?
c. Could these overflows be related with some firmware problem? I immediatelly upgraded to the latest firmware after purchase
d. Could this be resolved if I start using longer IP blocks (i.e /20s, 255.255.240.0) since all the IPs are on the same CIDR range? (I have doubts this would help, so I have not even tried it)
e. Could it be any other network/configuration problem? any advices at all?

Problem 2: Internal Clock Desynchronization
Further than the above mentioned ARP Table overflows, there are serious problems with 6024F's internal clock. More specifically, it keeps falls back in time (i.e within 1 hour it may lose up to 20 minutes!), while it keeps changing date itself to 12-Dec-2008 (994 days ahead) and returns back to 2006 after a few minutes/hours. No SNTP server has been used to synchronize it that could be related with misconfigured SNTP server.

Questions:
a. Do you have any solution on this problem and/or has it been noticed before ?
b. Should I worry that clock's falling back (i.e 20 minutes within 1 hour) might be related with heavy processing load ? How can I confirm that ?
c. Could the clock issue be related with clock's help function typo (clock set ?) that gives incorrect syntax ?
Incorrect syntax:
noname# clock set ?
hh:mm:ss Current Time
noname# clock set 16:30:00
% missing mandatory parameter
Correct syntax:
noname# clock set 16:30:00 10 Mar 2006
noname# show clock
*16:30:02 (UTC-6) Mar 10 2006
No time source

At last, I would like to ask what is the developing status of firmware versions on this model, for example if there are currently any plans of new firmware versions to be released soon that might resolve the above two problems I am having and include other bugfixes, additional features etc.

Thanks a lot.

-- Tisuca

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Dell PowerConnect 6024F (show version)
SW version 2.0.0.01 ( date 10-Apr-2005 time 08:28:21 )
Boot version 1.0.0.13 ( date 13-Aug-2003 time 15:28:31 )
HW version 00.01.64

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ARP Table Overflows (being showed twice a minute)
noname# 24-Mar-2006 17:10:33 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:11:04 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:11:35 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:12:07 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:12:38 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:13:10 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:13:40 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:14:11 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:14:42 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:15:15 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:15:45 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:16:19 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:16:49 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:17:21 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:17:51 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:18:23 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:18:55 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:19:26 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:19:58 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:20:29 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow
24-Mar-2006 17:20:59 %ARP-E-ARPTBL: ARP Table Overflow

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ARP Table (show arp)
(1st try) show arp => shows 8185 IPs / <1000 MACs
(2nd try) show arp => shows 8175 IPs / <1000 MACs
(3rd try) show arp => shows 8170 IPs / <1000 MACs
(4th try) show arp => shows 8043 IPs / <1000 MACs

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System status (show system)
noname# show system

System Description: Ethernet Routing Switch
System Up Time (days,hour:min:sec): 0,23:32:27
System Contact: XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX
System Name: noname
System Location: XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX
System MAC Address: XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
OOB MAC Address: XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX
System Object ID: 1.3.6.1.4.1.674.10895.3000
Type: PowerConnect 6024F

Main Power Supply Status: OK
Redundant Power Supply Status: OK
Fan 1 Status: OK
Fan 2 Status: OK


Sensor Temperature (Celsius) Status
------------------------ ------------------------ ------------------------
1 27 ok
2 32 ok

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Interfaces status (show interfaces status)
noname# show interfaces status
Flow Link Back Mdix
Port Type Duplex Speed Neg ctrl State Pressure Mode
........ ............ ...... ..... ........ .... ........... ........ .......
g1 1G-Fiber Full 1000 Disabled Off Up Disabled Off
g2 1G-Fiber Full 1000 Disabled Off Up Disabled Off
g3 1G-Fiber Full 1000 Disabled Off Up Disabled Off
g4 1G-Fiber Full 1000 Disabled Off Up Disabled Off
g5 1G-Fiber Full 1000 Disabled Off Up Disabled Off
g6 1G-Fiber Full 1000 Disabled Off Up Disabled Off
g7 1G-Fiber Full 1000 Enabled Off Up Disabled Off
g8 1G-Fiber Full 1000 Enabled Off Up Disabled Off
g9 1G-Fiber Full 1000 Enabled Off Up Disabled Off
g10 1G-Fiber Full 1000 Enabled Off Up Disabled Off
g11 1G-Fiber -- -- -- -- Down -- --
g12 1G-Fiber -- -- -- -- Down -- --
g13 1G-Fiber -- -- -- -- Down -- --
g14 1G-Fiber -- -- -- -- Down -- --
g15 1G-Fiber -- -- -- -- Down -- --
g16 1G-Fiber -- -- -- -- Down -- --
g17 1G-Combo-C -- -- -- -- Down -- --
g18 1G-Combo-C -- -- -- -- Down -- --
g19 1G-Combo-C -- -- -- -- Down -- --
g20 1G-Combo-C -- -- -- -- Down -- --
g21 1G-Combo-C -- -- -- -- Down -- --
g22 1G-Combo-C -- -- -- -- Down -- --
g23 1G-Combo-C -- -- -- -- Down -- --
g24 1G-Combo-C -- -- -- -- Down -- --

Flow Link Back
Ch Type Duplex Speed Neg control State Pressure
........ ....... ...... ..... ........ ....... ........... ........
ch1 1G Full 1000 Disabled Off Up Disabled
ch2 -- -- -- -- -- Not Present --
ch3 -- -- -- -- -- Not Present --
ch4 -- -- -- -- -- Not Present --
ch5 -- -- -- -- -- Not Present --
ch6 1G Full 1000 Enabled Off Up Disabled
ch7 -- -- -- -- -- Not Present --

Link
Oob-eth Type Duplex Speed Neg State
........ ............ ...... ..... ........ ...........
Oob-eth 1 100M-Copper Full 100 Enabled Up

Message Edited by tisuca on 03-25-2006 03:50 AM