[rrd-users] Question on correct data type

[jeffrey.j.petter at verizon.com]

Hi,

Recently I began collecting SNMP data from our Bluecoat proxy appliances
for use with RRDtool. One of the OIDs, proxyNumObjects, is confusing the
heck out of me. The documentation states it is of type counter32. My
understanding is that this type would increment until the counter reached
2^32, at which point it would wrap. As a side note, in my opinion this does
not seem to be an appropriate type for this object, because the value will
fluctuate as the proxy obtains and releases objects. As it happens, that is
exactly what is happening, as can be seen from the successive polls I have
pasted below.
# /usr/local/bin/snmpget.pl -v 1 -c xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
.1.3.6.1.3.25.17.3.1.2.0
.1.3.6.1.3.25.17.3.1.2.0 = Counter: 4583995
# /usr/local/bin/snmpget.pl -v 1 -c xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
.1.3.6.1.3.25.17.3.1.2.0
.1.3.6.1.3.25.17.3.1.2.0 = Counter: 4583955
# /usr/local/bin/snmpget.pl -v 1 -c xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
.1.3.6.1.3.25.17.3.1.2.0
.1.3.6.1.3.25.17.3.1.2.0 = Counter: 4583783
# /usr/local/bin/snmpget.pl -v 1 -c xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
.1.3.6.1.3.25.17.3.1.2.0
.1.3.6.1.3.25.17.3.1.2.0 = Counter: 4583888
# /usr/local/bin/snmpget.pl -v 1 -c xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
.1.3.6.1.3.25.17.3.1.2.0
.1.3.6.1.3.25.17.3.1.2.0 = Counter: 4583876

Maybe this is just showing my ignorance, but has anyone ever experienced a
counter that fluctuates like this? If so, what have you found to be the
best way to handle it in RRDtool? I have tried counter, and guage....and
out of desperation tried absolute...none of which really depicted what I
expected.

Has anyone experienced fluctuating counters? Are they common? How do you
handle them?

I appreciate any and all help.

Thanks,
Jeff
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