Re: Command 'top' and load percentages.

[Andreas Kahari <ak+openbsd@freeshell.org>]

On Fri, May 07, 2004 at 07:46:53AM -0500, Adam Gurno wrote:
> On Fri, May 07, 2004 at 12:25:24PM +0200, David Moron tapped out:
> > Hi,
> > The command top print on the first line "the  three load averages" but 
> > man does not explain what are these load averages.
> > Perhaps CPU, MEM, and LAN? or SWAP?
> 
> I *think* that the load is calculated as 
> 1/(1-n) 
> where n is the average processor usage as a percent.
> 
> A load of 2 means 50% utilization?  

And infinite load at 100% CPU usage? I wouldn't think so.


> 
> >From my last job working with an AIX box:
> 01:48PM   up 3 days,   8:38,  136 users,  load average: 15.79, 16.50, 15.03

Which means that over the last 1, 5, and 15 minute periods, the
average length of the run queue was between 15 and 16.

I believe that the relevant source file is

    src/sys/kern/kern_synch.c

-- 
|}{}{| Andreas Kähäri
|{}{}|
|}{}{| East Anglia
|{}{}| England