On Thu, Mar 08, 2001 at 10:55:10PM -0800, [email protected] wrote: > on Tue, Mar 06, 2001 at 11:21:07AM -0600, Dave Sherohman ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > wrote: > > You have the notation correct, but load average and CPU utilization are not > > directly related. Load average is the average number of processes that are > > waiting on system resources over a certain time period; they could be > > waiting > > for CPU, for I/O, or for other resources.
> It *is* CPU. These are processes in the run queue. A process blocked > for I/O or another resource is blocked, not runnable OK, now I'm confused... My statements were based on my memory of a thread from last May (was it that long ago?) on this very list titled "(ot) What is load average?". Checking back on the messages I saved from that conversation, I see a one from [email protected] stating that load average is | Number of processes in the run queue, averaged over time. Often | confused with CPU utilization, which it is not. Load average either is CPU or it isn't, right? So you can't have been correct both times. Now, you may have been wrong last year and since realized that it's more CPU-related than you had thought, but (aside from this thread's original question describing a situation with a long-term consistent load average of 2.00 and low-to-no CPU utilization) last May's thread also included a message from [EMAIL PROTECTED] stating that ] It is the average number of processes in the 'R' (running/runnable) state ] (or blocked on I/O). and ] The load average is most directly related to CPU. Two CPU-intensive ] processes running will result in a load average of 2, etc. But I/O ] intensive processes spend so much time active that they can drive up the ] load average also. In addition if more than one process is blocked on I/O ] then the load average will go up very quickly, as both processes count ] toward the load even if only one can access the disk at a time. Based on my observations of load and CPU readings on my boxes and the messages from last May that I quoted above, I'm inclined to maintain my earlier statement that processes waiting on any resource (not just CPU) contribute to load. But, if that's not the case, I'm willing to be corrected. -- Linux will do for applications what the Internet did for networks. - IBM, "Peace, Love, and Linux" Geek Code 3.1: GCS d? s+: a- C++ UL++$ P++>+++ L+++>++++ E- W--(++) N+ o+ !K w---$ O M- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t 5++ X+ R++ tv b+ DI++++ D G e* h+ r y+
