This article explains scenario where, after upgrading to Junos 22.2R3-S2.5-EVO or later, PTX routers may intermittently log the following message:

%DAEMON-4: Possible hog situation, Pinging watchdog after 32 secs

This message appears a few times with no apparent service impact or visible cause.

1. Syslog entries indicating a "Possible hog situation"
2. No visible impact on router performance or services
3. No alarms or core dumps associated with the message

Date [host] systemd[x]: %DAEMON-4: Possible hog situation, Pinging watchdog after 32 secs

Cause:

The message indicates that the system's watchdog mechanism is detecting a potential resource utilization issue. Normally, the watchdog is pinged every 5 seconds, but in this case, it's being pinged after 32 seconds, suggesting a delay in the normal watchdog timing.

The exact cause of this delay is not yet determined, but it may be related to:

1. A process or daemon temporarily consuming excessive resources
2. A potential software bug introduced in the 22.2R3-S2.5-EVO release
3. Changes in the watchdog mechanism or resource monitoring in newer Junos versions

Diagnosis:

Check for high CPU or memory utilization

---->>show system resources

---->>show system processes extensive

Monitor for any recurring patterns or specific processes that coincide with the message. Check for any alarms or core dumps:

---->>show system alarms
---->>show system core-dumps

Currently, no specific workaround is required as the issue appears to be self-recovering and does not impact services. However, if the messages become more frequent or start causing issues, consider the following:

1. Restart affected daemons if a specific daemon is identified as problematic
2. Clear and reapply configurations
3. In extreme cases, consider a controlled reboot of the router

Recommended Action:

1. Monitor the frequency and impact of these messages
2. If the messages become more frequent or start impacting services, collect the following information and contact Juniper Networks Support:

show system uptime

show system resources

show system processes extensive | except 0.0

show chassis fpc

show chassis alarm

show system processes cpu

show system processes memory

show log messages

show log messages | match jlock

show log messages | match FPC

show system routing-engine

show system routing-engine status

show system routing-engine detail

Additional Information:

1. This issue has been observed on multiple PTX routers after upgrading to 22.2R3-S2.5-EVO
2. The message is logged by the systemd process
3. Normal router operations and performance do not appear to be affected