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VMWare, esxtop and host CPU utilization
I can bring my VM up to about 35 percent CPU in the OS, and 60 percent in the VM, as reported by the GUI
I want to see what the Host is doing in CPU
When I go to esxtop, it says that 'system' and 'helper' are at zero percent idle
When I am running something or not
How do I determine what the host CPU from esxtop ?
I thought I would judge this from 'system' and 'helper'
I want to see what the Host is doing in CPU
When I go to esxtop, it says that 'system' and 'helper' are at zero percent idle
When I am running something or not
How do I determine what the host CPU from esxtop ?
I thought I would judge this from 'system' and 'helper'
VMware
Last Comment
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
How many cores does the CPU have? How many vcpu did you assign the guest?
Don't forget CPU Usage is always available from the vSphere Client and Performance Monitor Graphs.
![esxtop]()
CPU
CPU load average of 1.00 means full utilisation of all CPU’s. A load of 2.00 means the host is using twice as many physical CPU’s as are currently available, likewise 0.50 means half are being utilised.
CPU Screen
PCPU USED(%) – Physical hardware execution context. Can be a physical CPU core if hyperthreading is unavilable or disabled or a logical CPU (LCPU) or SMT thread if hyperthreading is enabled. This displays PCPU percentage of CPU usage when averaged over all PCPUs.
PCPU UTIL(%) - Physical CPU utilised. (real time) Indicates how much time the PCPU was busy, in an unhalted state, in the last snapshot duration. Might differ from PCPU USED(%) due to power management technologies or hyperthreading.
If hyper threading is enabled these figures can be different, likewise if the frequency of the PCPU is changed due to power management these figures can also be adjusted.
As an example if PCPU USED(%) is 100 and PCPU UTIL(%) is 50 this is because hyper threading is splitting the load across the two PCPUs. If you then look in the vSphere client you may notice that CPU usage is 100%. This is because the vSphere client will double the statistics if hyperthreading is enabled.
In a dual core system, each PCPU is charged by the CPU scheduler half of the elapsed time when both PCPUs are busy.
CPU
CPU load average of 1.00 means full utilisation of all CPU’s. A load of 2.00 means the host is using twice as many physical CPU’s as are currently available, likewise 0.50 means half are being utilised.
CPU Screen
PCPU USED(%) – Physical hardware execution context. Can be a physical CPU core if hyperthreading is unavilable or disabled or a logical CPU (LCPU) or SMT thread if hyperthreading is enabled. This displays PCPU percentage of CPU usage when averaged over all PCPUs.
PCPU UTIL(%) - Physical CPU utilised. (real time) Indicates how much time the PCPU was busy, in an unhalted state, in the last snapshot duration. Might differ from PCPU USED(%) due to power management technologies or hyperthreading.
If hyper threading is enabled these figures can be different, likewise if the frequency of the PCPU is changed due to power management these figures can also be adjusted.
As an example if PCPU USED(%) is 100 and PCPU UTIL(%) is 50 this is because hyper threading is splitting the load across the two PCPUs. If you then look in the vSphere client you may notice that CPU usage is 100%. This is because the vSphere client will double the statistics if hyperthreading is enabled.
In a dual core system, each PCPU is charged by the CPU scheduler half of the elapsed time when both PCPUs are busy.
ASKER
k, I think I understand what you are saying, but how do I determine the CPU utilization used by the actual hypervisor, or is that a concept that is used by VMWare
your question states CPU utilization of the host? the host runs the hypervisor, the Host OS.
ASKER
In the example you showed, you discuss the CPU load average (util of all CPU), PCPUUSED and PCUUTIL.
Still do not understand which of these numbers are showing the utilization of the hypervisor
In the example you displayed above, what is the utilization of the CPU's used by the hypervisor ? (ie, what number)
Still do not understand which of these numbers are showing the utilization of the hypervisor
In the example you displayed above, what is the utilization of the CPU's used by the hypervisor ? (ie, what number)
CPU
load average of 1.00 means 100% of ALL CPUs in the host.
0.5 is 50%
2.00 is x2 as many physical CPUs as available.
load average is 0.1 so 10%
load average of 1.00 means 100% of ALL CPUs in the host.
0.5 is 50%
2.00 is x2 as many physical CPUs as available.
load average is 0.1 so 10%
ASKER
1> So if I understand you correctly, the hypervisor util is ten percent ?
2> Can I assume from the example above that the hypervisor is running on 3 virtual CPUs
Thanks
2> Can I assume from the example above that the hypervisor is running on 3 virtual CPUs
Thanks
1. correct
2. 2 VMs are using 3 vCPUs
2. 2 VMs are using 3 vCPUs
ASKER
So in the example below
1> What is the hyperthreading CPU
2> what is the .35 number
3> What is the .07 number
4> What is the .03 number ?
Thanks
11:10:57pm up 6 days 4:15, 323 worlds, 1 VMs, 8 vCPUs; CPU load average: 0.35, 0.07, 0.03
1> What is the hyperthreading CPU
2> what is the .35 number
3> What is the .07 number
4> What is the .03 number ?
Thanks
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