High server load but not high CPU load

novazion · Post by **novazion** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 1:14 pm

Hello,

I try to identify the reason of my server high load.
I run zoneminder on a 64 BIT Ubuntu Server.
The processor is Core2duo.

I use MRTG-sys to monitor the server.
My server load recording 2 VGA network cams and two megapixels CAMS is around 1.6 average (modect). However, the porcessor load is something around 90%, as it is a dual-core, the processor is not overloaded.

The only thing I see is a high context switches. Something around 2500/s.

Did someone had similar issues?

Emeric.

DREMA · Post by **DREMA** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 4:40 pm

Did you check your harddrive activity?

I currently have a bug on my zm that keep overloading my drives and have a very high load even when my processor is fine.

Try installing "iotop" for checking it out.

BlueH2O · Post by **BlueH2O** » Tue Aug 24, 2010 4:05 pm

If you have a dual core CPU your load average at 100% would be 2.00. So a load of 1.60 would be 80%

Flash_ · Post by **Flash_** » Wed Aug 25, 2010 5:42 am

htop can be set to show iowait in the cpu taskbar, and munin will log it effectively too.

For cases as you describe, with high load and normal cpu, then the cpu is usually waiting for io to catch up.