Network Management

Arithmetic overflow error converting IDENTITY to data type int error in SolarWinds Platform

After upgrading to 2019.4 there are random errors on the web console and the menu bar is missing, or the Configuration Wizard fails with an overflow converting IDENTITY.

First published date

2/11/2020 8:25 PM

Last published date

10/23/2025 3:22 PM

Overview

After upgrading to 2019.4 or 2020.2 there are random errors on the web console and the menu bar is missing. You may have experienced a large, enterprise-wide outage within 30 days before or after the upgrade as well. Or, during the upgrade, the Configuration Wizard may return an error saying an arithmetic overflow error occurred.  Either way, this error will be in the core log:

Core.BusinessLayer.log:
2020-02-10 17:54:56,554 [Main] FATAL SolarWinds.Orion.Core.BusinessLayer.CoreBusinessLayerPlugin - (null) Unhandled Exception caught in plugin startup.
System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException (0x80131904): Arithmetic overflow error converting IDENTITY to data type int.

This error can be seen in the businesslayerhost.log file in C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs for every installed module as well.

You may also notice the used space on your polling engine drives is gradually filling.

Product section

Orion Platform

Cause

When checking the database top tables, you will find the Events table has 1.2 billion rows. This is the maximum number of rows that a int32 table can hold. As such, it cannot write any more data to this table. Since this table needs to write every event, the services cannot continue until the backlog of events are written to the database.

It is also possible that the EventID column in Events has reached 2,147,483,647

Database maintenance is likely failing as well, which lead to the the events table filling. Otherwise a large, enterprise-wide issue occurred in your environment within the past 30 days to generate the large number of events. Because these events are not 30 days old, they are not automatically cleared by the Database Maintenance.

Resolution

Important Note:
It is important to have a database backup before deleting or truncating database tables.

  1. Open the SolarWinds Platform Web Console and navigate to Settings > All Settings > SolarWinds Platform Service Manager.
  2. Stop services on all SolarWinds Platform servers.
  3. Connect to the SQL server and open SQL Server Management Studio.
  4. Log in to the instance with admin credentials.
  5. Expand the SQL server, right-click the SolarWindsOrion Database, and select New Query.
  6. Paste and Execute the following query:
-- Scripts are not supported under any SolarWinds support program or service.
-- Scripts are provided AS IS without warranty of any kind. SolarWinds further
-- disclaims all warranties including, without limitation, any implied warranties
-- of merchantability or of fitness for a particular purpose. The risk arising
-- out of the use or performance of the scripts and documentation stays with you.
-- In no event shall SolarWinds or anyone else involved in the creation,
-- production, or delivery of the scripts be liable for any damages whatsoever
-- (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business
-- interruption, loss of business information, or other pecuniary loss) arising
-- out of the use of or inability to use the scripts or documentation.
truncate table Events
dbcc checkident (Events, reseed, 1)
  1. Restart all SolarWinds services on all SolarWinds Platform servers, beginning with the main poller.