It is very important to learn the precise methods on how to determine the overall consumption trends in Linux. Indeed, in certain situations, you will note that the CPU consumption in your Linux system is getting unusually high. In such cases, it will prove to be most practical to identify the complex processes that contribute to higher consumption rates on the CPU system.
You may discover that there are primary ways to determine this. The first is using the “ps command,” and the second is “the top command.” It is generally more practical to use the top command. Regardless, both of these methods can produce effective results. You are, therefore, at liberty to choose either of them.
How to Use the Top Command to Determine High Consumption in the Linux CPU
As noted, the top command is the best known, popularly used method that most people use to track the Linux CPU performance system. With the top command, users can get real-time, dynamic data on the Linux system running processes.
The method conveniently displays crucial information on the system summary or catalog of processes that are administered by the kernel. You will get crucial information on memory usage, system load, system uptime, swap memory, overall running processes, buffer size, process PID and Cache size.
Further, you may find that the top command neatly sorts the CPU usage with the top output by default. It also automatically updates after 5 seconds. For the best results, you should run this command while in the batch mode.
Learn the Symbols that Guide a Typical Top Command Model
It is beneficial to learn the basic symbols that guide the typical top command model. This will help you to carry out a successful troubleshooting process. Whereas it takes time to do this, the benefits will be long-lasting ad most satisfying.
Here are some of the most common symbols that govern a typical top command process.
“Top:” This is the symbol for the typical “top command.”
Batch mode is represented by the symbol “-d.”
“Head -50” is an important symbol for displaying the “first 50 output lines.”
The unique process ID is represented by “PID.”
“USER” represents the process owner.
“PR” represents the process priority.
“NI” represents the processes’ NICE value.
“VIRT” represents the volume of “virtual memory” consumed by the process.
“RES” represents the total “physical memory” consumed by the process.
“SHR” represents the memory shared by the process.
“S” indicates the process status (the sleep process), “Z”-Zombie, “R”-running.
“%CPU” Represents the CPU percentage consumed by the process.
“%MEM” Represents the RAM percentage used up by the process.
“TIME+” indicates the time that the process runs.
“COMMAND” represents the process name.
Further, the symbol “ps” represents the “process status.” It is used to display information on the system’s running and active processes. It also gives a preview on the existing processes as well as other detailed information. This includes user id, CPU usage, username, memory usage, command name, and the start name for this process.
Troubleshooting: Collect Comprehensive Data on High CPU Consumption
There are several types of data that you need to collect while troubleshooting high CPU utilization for a Linux system. These are also referred to as Out of Memory errors. Thus, make sure to collect this data and submit it to the manufacturer as soon as an issue arises. Once you do this, it will help fast-track the process for resolving the matter.
Also, do not forget to include the following essential information:
- Configuration directory.
- Debug logs.
- Current options and JVM stack traces.
- GC logs and Garbage Collector.
- Thread information/ Process.
Make sure to include additional information on other symptoms that the system experiences as well as the changes made to the system that have a direct bearing on the onset of the current issue. Ensure to gather all data at the pinpointed area where the issue first arose. This guarantees that the data and the timestamps related to the issue always correspond. For prompt attention, notify the manufacturer immediately the memory errors or high CPU issues are noticed.
Final Verdict
It is important to monitor the Linux CPU usage for efficiency and convenience regularly. Notably, whenever a given process engages your Linux CPU system, it generally becomes unavailable to process other requests. Thus, the pending requests have to remain in the queue, waiting for the CPU to be free. Ultimately, this becomes a hindrance that is ever lurking in the system.
Regardless, if you use the right command method, you can identify and determine a specific CPU utilization. In turn, this will help you troubleshoot all performance issues on a Linux system as relating to the CPU. Further, it is always crucial to determine the overall consumption processes and utilization mechanisms for a Linux CPU. Yes, this is among the most important tasks that a Linux user can ever manage.
Learn the basic commands and essential troubleshooting symbols that enable you to determine high consumption levels for your Linux device successfully. Fortunately, Linux provides many practical utilities that can help you determine the causes of high CPU utilization with sharp accuracy.
Master these processes to surge ahead of the pack.