CPU utilization is a critical aspect of system performance monitoring. In the Linux environment, it is essential to understand how to measure and monitor CPU utilization to ensure optimal system performance. This article will provide an overview of CPU utilization in Linux, explain its importance, and provide practical examples and commands to monitor and analyze CPU utilization.

Examples:

1. Checking CPU Utilization with the top Command:

   • Open the terminal and run the following command:

     top

   • The top command provides real-time information about CPU utilization, processes, and system performance. Look for the "%CPU" column to see the CPU utilization percentage of each process.

2. Monitoring CPU Utilization with the mpstat Command:

   • Install the sysstat package if it is not already installed:

     sudo apt-get install sysstat

   • Run the following command to monitor CPU utilization at regular intervals:

     mpstat -P ALL 5

   • The mpstat command will display CPU utilization statistics for each processor at a 5-second interval.

3. Analyzing CPU Utilization with the sar Command:

   • Install the sysstat package if it is not already installed:

     sudo apt-get install sysstat

   • Run the following command to generate a CPU utilization report for a specific time range:

     sar -u -f /var/log/sysstat/saXX

   • Replace "XX" with the corresponding day of the month. The sar command will display detailed CPU utilization statistics for the specified time range.