Linux System Monitoring and Performance Tuning

Discover tools and techniques for monitoring and tuning system performance in Linux, including using top, htop, and vmstat.

Linux System Monitoring and Performance Tuning  

Monitoring and tuning system performance is crucial for maintaining a healthy Linux environment. This guide covers tools and techniques for monitoring and optimizing system performance, including using top, htop, and vmstat.

Monitoring Tools  

Using top  

Use top to display real-time system information and process activity.

top

Using htop  

Use htop as an enhanced version of top.

htop

Using vmstat  

Use vmstat to report virtual memory statistics.

vmstat

Using iostat  

Use iostat to monitor system input/output device loading.

iostat

Performance Tuning  

Using sysctl  

Use sysctl to modify kernel parameters at runtime.

sudo sysctl -w net.ipv4.ip_forward=1

Managing Swappiness  

Adjust the swappiness value to control the tendency of the kernel to swap.

sudo sysctl vm.swappiness=10

Using nice and renice  

Use nice to start a process with a specific priority.

nice -n 10 command

Use renice to change the priority of an existing process.

renice 10 -p <pid>

Conclusion  

Effective system monitoring and performance tuning are essential for maintaining a stable and efficient Linux environment. Practice using monitoring tools and tuning techniques to optimize your system’s performance.