How to Monitor the CPU Usage of a Server

This KB will show you how to monitor the server’s CPU usage quickly and effortlessly on a Cloudways Platform.

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Written by Cloudways Product
Updated over a week ago

This KB will show you how to monitor the server’s CPU usage quickly and effortlessly on a Cloudways Platform. You will also learn about the statistics of idle CPU and CPU consumption of a specific application. It is always considered a good practice that you keep checking the server and application monitoring section of the platform, so you are aware of the current health of your server and application.

Visiting the Server Monitoring Section

Here are instructions on visiting the server monitoring section of the Cloudways platform to view the CPU usage.

Step #1

Log in to the Cloudways Platform,then click on the Servers tab from the top menu bar, and choose your target server.

Next, click on the Monitoring option from the left menu bar to load the server usage information.

Step #2

Here, the Summary and Details tabs are the most important because that is where all server resource utilization statistics and graphs are located.

The Summary tab here presents a quick summary of the utilization of four major server resources. These resources get updated on their defined time.

CPU Monitoring Section

CPU Usage

Here, you will see the CPU utilization recorded recently. These statistics get updated every five minutes automatically.

If you want to understand the CPU consumption over the desired period and have a more in-depth understanding, refer to the Details tab of the monitoring page.

Important

Your CPU usage can significantly increase based on your chosen backup frequency. Specifically, selecting a higher backup frequency, such as hourly or every 3 hours, may exert substantial demands on your server's CPU resources. This heightened usage can extend the time required to complete backups beyond the expected duration, potentially leading to skipped or failed subsequent backups.

To effectively manage CPU resources and maintain server performance, it's advisable to opt for a lower backup frequency, ideally 6 hours or greater. This approach will help mitigate the impact on CPU usage while ensuring the reliable execution of your backup tasks.

Idle CPU Statistics

You may also visit the Details tab, where you will find a graphical representation of data. You can select the Idle CPU option from the dropdown menu and choose the duration (default: one hour) to see the percentage of free/idle CPU; the higher the number, the less busy the server is.

If you see no data available warning, then it means that no data was available recorded on your selected time stamp so you may consider changing the duration (e.g., last seven days).

Important

Here, X-Axis represents the time whereas, Y-Axis represents the idle CPU percentage. These are interactive graphs so you can hover your cursor over to any coordinates to read the specific information at that given instant.

CPU Consumption of a Specific Application

You can also view the CPU consumption information of a specific application by switching to the Summary tab and expanding the Application Wise Details section, as shown in the screenshot below.

If you see no data available warning, then it means that no data was available recorded on your selected timestamp.

You have learned how to check the CPU usage of a server. If your idle CPU percentage is below 10 to 20% or if you are running low on server resources, you can always upscale the server effortlessly on the Cloudways Platform. Get to know the best WPengine alternatives in the market.

That’s it! We hope this article was helpful. If you need any help, then feel free to search your query on Cloudways Support Center or contact us via chat (Need a Hand > Send us a Message). Alternatively, you can also create a support ticket.

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