Different CPU usage readings
The analytics page for my shared 2GB linode shows 100% cpu usage. If I ssh into my linode and run htop, it shows 3-5% cpu usage. Why the difference?
4 Replies
More information: the top command reports '%CPU(s) 97.0 id'
tlambert
Linode Staff
The stats reported to your instance's analytics page are a bit delayed but are fairly accurate. An exception is when you're hosting a Minecraft server, there is a known bug that will cause the CPU usage to be misreported.
If you're not running a Minecraft server, my suggestion is to install Linode Longview to get a more in-depth view of your instance's metrics. If you see the same levels of CPU with Longview, you may want to login and start an investigation of the root cause. The free version will give you plenty of additional information but there is a paid version as well.
If it is the case that your CPU is continuously low and the numbers are being misreported, it may be an issue with the infrastructure. In that case, I suggest getting in touch with the Support Team so they can take a closer look.
Thanks for the reply.
If analytics page reports near 100% usage, what does the consistent approx 97% idle reported by the top command mean.
Thanks again.
tlambert
Linode Staff
We have a video on our YouTube channel that explains all of the stats given in the top command. As mentioned there the higher the id, the less busy the system is overall.
One more thing I would like to mention is if the CPU usage on your graph is pegged at 100% and the monitors from within your system are giving different information, then this could be an infrastructure issue and I would suggest opening a ticket. However, if the graph is showing peaks and valleys, this is likely due to some process that is stopping and starting on your instance and is worth investigating.