System Monitoring Techniques with Htop and Netdata

As a system administrator, monitoring your servers’ performance is crucial to ensure they are running smoothly and efficiently. In this article, we will explore 11 system monitoring techniques using two powerful tools: htop and netdata.

What are Htop and Netdata?

Htop

htop is an interactive version of the classic top command. It provides a more user-friendly interface for viewing real-time system information, such as CPU usage, memory usage, disk usage, and process details.

Netdata

netdata is a powerful, real-time monitoring tool that collects and displays system metrics, including CPU, memory, disk I/O, network traffic, and more. It provides detailed insights into system performance and can be used to identify potential issues before they become major problems.

11 System Monitoring Techniques with Htop and Netdata

1. CPU Usage Monitoring

Using htop, you can monitor CPU usage in real-time. Simply press F2 to open the menu, select “Sort by” > “Cpu”, and press Enter. This will sort the processes by their CPU usage.

“`bash

Using htop to monitor CPU usage

htop
“`

2. Memory Usage Monitoring

With netdata, you can view detailed memory usage statistics, including used and free memory, as well as swap space utilization.

“`bash

Using netdata to monitor memory usage

sudo systemctl start netdata
“`

3. Disk Usage Monitoring

Using htop, you can view disk usage information for each mount point. Press F2 to open the menu, select “Sort by” > “Dsk”, and press Enter.

“`bash

Using htop to monitor disk usage

htop
“`

4. Network Traffic Monitoring

With netdata, you can view detailed network traffic statistics, including incoming and outgoing bytes, packets, and errors.

“`bash

Using netdata to monitor network traffic

sudo systemctl start netdata
“`

5. Process Monitoring

Using htop, you can view detailed process information, including command line arguments, open files, and threads.

“`bash

Using htop to monitor processes

htop
“`

6. Thread Monitoring

With netdata, you can view detailed thread information, including thread ID, name, and state.

“`bash

Using netdata to monitor threads

sudo systemctl start netdata
“`

7. System Call Monitoring

Using netdata, you can view detailed system call statistics, including the number of calls, errors, and wait times.

“`bash

Using netdata to monitor system calls

sudo systemctl start netdata
“`

8. File System Monitoring

With netdata, you can view detailed file system information, including disk usage, free space, and mounted devices.

“`bash

Using netdata to monitor file systems

sudo systemctl start netdata
“`

9. Network Interface Monitoring

Using htop, you can view detailed network interface information, including IP address, MAC address, and traffic statistics.

“`bash

Using htop to monitor network interfaces

htop
“`

10. Disk I/O Monitoring

With netdata, you can view detailed disk I/O statistics, including read and write operations, throughput, and latency.

“`bash

Using netdata to monitor disk I/O

sudo systemctl start netdata
“`

11. System Boot Time Monitoring

Using htop, you can view the system boot time information, including kernel version, init system, and boot duration.

“`bash

Using htop to monitor system boot times

htop
“`

In conclusion, these 11 system monitoring techniques using htop and netdata provide a comprehensive overview of your server’s performance. By using these tools, you can identify potential issues before they become major problems and ensure that your servers are running smoothly and efficiently.

Conclusion

System monitoring is an essential aspect of maintaining healthy and efficient systems. With htop and netdata, you have powerful tools at your disposal to monitor system performance in real-time. By using these techniques, you can identify potential issues before they become major problems and ensure that your servers are running smoothly and efficiently.

I hope this article has provided a useful overview of the importance of system monitoring and how to use htop and netdata to achieve this goal. If you have any questions or need further guidance, please don’t hesitate to ask!