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Introduction

Monitoring system performance is crucial for maintaining a healthy and responsive Ubuntu Server. Whether you’re troubleshooting issues or optimizing resource usage, tools like htop, top, vmstat, and iotop provide valuable insights into your system’s performance.

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1. Using htop for Real-Time Monitoring

htop is an interactive process viewer that provides a more user-friendly alternative to the traditional top command.

Installation:

Run the following command to install htop:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install htop -y

Key Features of htop:

• Displays CPU, memory, and swap usage in real time
• Allows process management (kill, renice) with simple keypresses
• Uses color-coded visualization for better readability

To launch htop, simply type:

   

htop

Use arrow keys to navigate and F9 to kill processes if needed.

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2. Using top for Basic System Monitoring

The top command is a built-in tool that provides a quick overview of system resource usage. It’s useful when you need a lightweight monitoring solution.

To start it, run:

top

Press q to exit, M to sort by memory usage, and P to sort by CPU usage.

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3. Monitoring Disk I/O with iotop

If you suspect high disk usage is affecting performance, iotop helps track which processes are using the most disk I/O.

Installation:

sudo apt install iotop -y

Usage:

sudo iotop

This will display real-time disk activity, helping identify performance bottlenecks.

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4. Using vmstat for System Performance Analysis

The vmstat command provides system performance statistics, including CPU usage, memory, and I/O activity.

Installation:

sudo apt install sysstat -y

Usage:

vmstat 2 5

This runs vmstat every 2 seconds for a total of 5 times, giving an overview of performance trends.

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Conclusion

Using tools like htop, top, iotop, and vmstat, you can effectively monitor and optimize your Ubuntu Server’s performance. Regular monitoring helps detect issues early, ensuring smooth server operations.

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