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iostat Command in Linux

iostat Command in Linux

By Team Scaler
3 mins read
Last updated: 3 Aug 2023
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Overview

The iostat command in Linux is an incredibly useful tool that comes bundled with the sysstat package. This command is primarily used for monitoring system input/output device loading by observing the time the devices are active in relation to their average transfer rates. In other words, the iostat command in Linux can provide us with detailed statistics concerning the performance of our system's hardware, which can be essential for system administrators when debugging performance issues.

Syntax of iostat Command in Linux

The basic syntax of the iostat command in Linux is as follows:

Where:

  • options: This refers to the different flags that can be used with the iostat command to modify its behavior.
  • device: This is an optional argument where you can specify a particular device that you want to get statistics for.
  • interval: This optional argument is used to set the amount of time (in seconds) between individual reports.
  • count: This optional argument specifies how many reports to display before the command exits.

Options in iostat Command in Linux

  1. -c: This option tells iostat to display the CPU utilization report.

    For example -

    Output:

    This output shows the percentage of CPU utilized for various tasks.

  2. -d: This option tells iostat to display the device utilization report.

    For example -

    Output:

    This output shows the statistics for the 'sda' device.

  3. -x: This option tells iostat to display extended statistics.

    For example -

    Output:

    This output shows extended statistics for the 'sda' device.

Example Usages

  • Displaying statistics for a specific device:

    Output:

    Explanation: This usage shows the statistics for the 'sda' device.

  • Displaying statistics every two seconds for a total of three reports:

    Output:

    Explanation: This usage shows how to use the interval and count parameters to display multiple reports at a specified interval.

Tips

  • The iostat command is part of the sysstat package. If it's not already installed on your system, you can install it using the package manager for your distribution (e.g., 'apt-get install sysstat' for Ubuntu).

  • Remember that the outputs can vary based on the current state and configuration of your system.

  • You can use the 'man iostat' command to access the manual and learn more about the iostat command and its options.

Advanced Use Cases of iostat Command in Linux

  • Displaying statistics with timestamps:

    Output:

    Explanation: This usage shows how to use the -xtc options to display extended statistics with CPU utilization and timestamps at an interval of 2 seconds.

  • Displaying statistics for multiple devices:

    Output:

    Explanation: This usage shows how to display statistics for multiple devices simultaneously.

  • Displaying statistics in JSON format:

    Output:

    Explanation: This usage shows how to display statistics in JSON format, which can be useful for parsing the output in scripts.

Conclusion

  • The iostat command in Linux is a powerful tool for monitoring system input/output device loading.

  • The iostat command can display both CPU utilization and I/O statistics.

  • The command can be customized using various options, such as '-c' for CPU statistics, '-d' for device statistics, and '-x' for extended statistics.

  • The iostat command can display statistics for specific devices, at specific intervals, and for a specific number of reports.