understanding load average in w or top

[Khashru]

Hi,

When i use top or w i get something like

mayub.sun450 /export/home/mayub # w
1:05pm up 19 day(s), 41 min(s), 6 users, load average: 2.94, 2.81, 2.82

How should i tnetrprate these load avearge. what is the scale.

[njia_1]

Hi

this tells you the current time, the length of time the system has been up, the number of users logged on to the system, and the average number of jobs in the run queue over the last 1, 5, and 15 minutes for the active processors.
Basically, the bigger the last 3 numbers are, the busier your system is. As for scale, I do not know because I have seen system load went up to 150, I would thought it is a relative number.

[Jan de Haas_3]

Do a search on 'load average' and 'top' and you should wind up with some good explanations.

[Khashru]

You will find details aboud load average in

http://www.teamquest.com/resources/gunther/ldavg1.shtml

[Khashru]

see my previous reply