TOP: INFO ON TOP

[Jeff Hagstrom]

Is there any documents out there on "top"? Can anyone inform me on top, what to look at, what's good or bad? etc..

[someone_4]

Hi,
I was looking for this info too not long ago. First you can do a an on top but I only found it somewhat helpfull. Do a search and pick Technical documents and Manuals. Allot of good links will come up. Here are two that I found usefull.

http://us-support3.external.hp.com/cki/bin/doc.pl/sid=faebfc720f54aaa2bd/screen=ckiDisplayDocument?docId=200000024598588


http://us-support3.external.hp.com/cki/bin/doc.pl/sid=18dd65771656529aac/screen=ckiDisplayDocument?docId=200000054388302


Richard

[someone_4]

This:
First you can do a an on top but I only found it somewhat helpfull

Is:
First you can do a man on top but I only found it some what helpfull.

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi Jeff:

Knowledge Base Document #A4678152 notes:

/begin_quote/

Top reports free memory in 1kb chunks so to get them to match you must divide tops free amount by 4 to get the true number of 4kb pages free and have it match vmstat. In other words, top reports in 1kb pages so these numbers must be multiplied by 4 to get 4kb kernel pages numbers.

For vmstat, avm (active virtual pages) and free (size of the free list) memory are reported in 4kb pages sizes.

Glance reports 1kb page sizes. This number will often be significantly different from ps -el since glance reports usage of shared memory also.

ps -el reports in 4kb kernel page sizes.

/end_quote/

Document #RCMEMKBRC00005784 notes:

"Total virtual memory" refers to the number of virtual pages used by all non-system processes. The word "active" means that a thread in a process has run in the last 20 seconds. Thus, "active virtual memory" refers to the sum of the virtual memory of all processes which have had a thread run in the last 20 seconds.

"Real memory" refers to pages residing in core. Shared memory is included in all these totals, but is counted only once. Fields that end in "txt" apply to text pages only.

The definition of "active" applies to "Real memory" also.

/end_quote/

Obviously, if you are using 'top' you are looking for performance guidelines. Take a look from that perspective in document #S3100002312A, S3100002312B and S3100002312C, too.

Regards!

...JRF...