How to use the command `dstat` (with examples)

dstat is a versatile tool for generating system resource statistics. It provides detailed information about CPU, disk, network, paging, and system statistics. It can be useful for monitoring system performance and diagnosing issues.

Use case 1: Display CPU, disk, net, paging and system statistics

Code:

dstat

Motivation: This use case is helpful when you want to monitor the overall system resource usage in real-time. It provides a comprehensive view of CPU, disk, network, paging, and system statistics.

Explanation: Running dstat without any arguments will display the default statistics, including CPU usage, disk I/O, network throughput, paging activity, and system load.

Example output:

----total-cpu-usage----
usr sys idl wai hiq siq stl
  2   1  97   0   0   0   0

Use case 2: Display statistics every 5 seconds and 4 updates only

Code:

dstat 5 4

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to collect system resource statistics at a specific interval for a limited number of updates. It allows you to capture periodic snapshots of the system’s performance.

Explanation: The command dstat 5 4 sets the update interval to 5 seconds and limits the number of updates to 4. It will display statistics every 5 seconds, and it will stop after 4 updates.

Example output:

----time---- --total-cpu-usage-- -dsk/total- -net/total- ---paging-- --system--
01-02 08:29:01  10  96   0   0   0   0|     0   7764B/s    1.4k/s|  678k  288M|   800  1008
01-02 08:29:06   6  94   0   0   0   0|     4  1742k/s    1.1k/s|   60k   95M| 1128B   800
01-02 08:29:11   7  93   0   0   0   0|     4  4212k/s    1.1k/s|   16k   40M| 6244B   872
01-02 08:29:16   6  94   0   0   0   0|     4  9504k/s    1.0k/s|    0    0 |  116k    0

Use case 3: Display CPU and memory statistics only

Code:

dstat --cpu --mem

Motivation: This use case is helpful when you want to focus on CPU and memory-related statistics. It provides information about CPU usage, interrupts, context switches, memory usage, and swap activity.

Explanation: The command dstat --cpu --mem enables the --cpu and --mem options to display CPU and memory statistics only. It excludes other resource statistics like disk, network, and paging.

Example output:

---cpu-usage--- ---mem-usage--
usr sys idl wai hiq siq| used buff cach free
  2   1  97   0   0   0| 4.8G 2.2M 207M  10G

Use case 4: List all available dstat plugins

Code:

dstat --list

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to explore all the available plugins for dstat. It gives you a list of options to customize the statistics displayed.

Explanation: The command dstat --list lists all the plugins available for dstat. It provides a comprehensive overview of the different statistics and information you can gather using dstat.

Example output:

List of available plugins:
aio, cpu, cpu24, disk, disk24, disk24old, epoch, fs, int, io, ipc, load, lock, mem, net, page, page24, proc, raw, socket, swap, swapold, sys, tcp, time, udp, unix, vm, write

Use case 5: Display the process using the most memory and most CPU

Code:

dstat --top-mem --top-cpu

Motivation: This use case is helpful when you want to identify the processes consuming the most memory and CPU resources on the system. It allows you to pinpoint resource-intensive processes.

Explanation: The command dstat --top-mem --top-cpu enables the --top-mem and --top-cpu options to display the process using the most memory and CPU, respectively. It provides an overview of the resource usage by individual processes.

Example output:

--top-cpu-usage-- --top-mem-usage--
usr sys idl wai hiq siq stl| used buff cach free
  5   2  92   0   0   0   0| 5.0G 9.1M 213M  10G

Use case 6: Display battery percentage and remaining battery time

Code:

dstat --battery --battery-remain

Motivation: This use case is useful for monitoring the battery status on a laptop or portable device. It provides information about the battery percentage and the remaining battery time.

Explanation: The command dstat --battery --battery-remain enables the --battery and --battery-remain options to display the battery percentage and the remaining battery time, respectively. It provides insights into the current battery status.

Example output:

---battery-usage-- --battery-remain-
now full  dsc  rc1  rc2  rc3  rc4  rc5| time
 63  98    3    2    2   23   68    0| 6:40

Conclusion:

In this article, we explored several use cases of the dstat command, a versatile tool for generating system resource statistics. It is a valuable tool for monitoring system performance, diagnosing issues, and customizing the displayed statistics based on specific requirements. Whether you need an overview of overall system resource usage or specific information about CPU, memory, plugins, processes, or battery status, dstat provides a comprehensive set of features to meet your monitoring needs.