[Lula] system load averages

[Peter Benjamin]

At 06:55 PM 4/8/2007, you wrote:
>On 4/8/07, Steve Glasser <steve at fpig.net> wrote:
>> Both 'top' and 'uptime' produce numbers for system load averages at
>> one, five and fifteen minutes.  I've read a bunch of stuff about
>> system load averages but it seems vague and contradictory.  What
>> numbers would actually indicate that the system cpu was overloaded?
>
>Anything higher than the total number of cpu cores.
>So a dual CPU system should never show a load average over 2.0.
>If it does, it means that more jobs are running than there is CPU for.

Oh, good answer Dan.  Better than mine in degree of specific minimum value.

Which is a condition that should clear itself, within
microseconds, and if it does not, then do worry, well
at least test it again in a few seconds.

Typically, I've found when it goes over the CPU count, and
continues to grow, it's a problem that needs immediate
intervention.  Or at least being sat on, and looked at
and frowning a lot, knowing there are no processes to
cancel to clear the condition, as all processes are
critical...

Always tell the boss, so when he gets a phone call complaining
about it, he can tell the caller "We know, and are looking into it",
thus, making the boss look good, compared to him coming to you
and saying "What the f_ck?", and having to call his boss back
with an estimated resolution time.

And telling the boss allows him to track the monthly, then 
weekly, then daily the impact, and allows scheduling of optimizations
or some type of upgrade, or moving of services, to other machines,
instead of the in one day Rush to clear the condition, in crisis
management mode.  Your boss... YMMV how he responds.  At the
very least you can say CYA, particularly when it became weekly
you memo'ed him a graph, in writing, of the problem, and the
estimated time to crashing, and desired solution direction,
and time frame of solution, and when the solution needs to
start being implemented.

Which leads to, hey, Steve, why do you want to know?