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System monitor

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</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Not to be confused with <a href="System_Monitor_(Microsoft)" class="mw-redirect" title="System Monitor (Microsoft)">System Monitor (Microsoft)</a>.</div>

A system monitor is a <a href="Computer_hardware" title="Computer hardware">hardware</a> or <a href="Software" title="Software">software</a> component used to monitor <a href="System_resources" class="mw-redirect" title="System resources">system resources</a> and performance in a computer system.<a href="#cite_note-1">[1]</a>

Among the management issues regarding use of system monitoring tools are resource usage and privacy. Monitoring can track both input and output values and events of systems.<a href="#cite_note-2">[2]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Overview">Overview</h2></div>

Software monitors occur more commonly, sometimes as a part of a <a href="Widget_engine" class="mw-redirect" title="Widget engine">widget engine</a>. These monitoring systems are often used to keep track of system resources, such as <a href="Central_processing_unit" title="Central processing unit">CPU</a> usage and frequency, or the amount of free <a href="Random_access_memory" class="mw-redirect" title="Random access memory">RAM</a>. They are also used to display items such as free space on one or more hard drives, the temperature of the CPU and other important components,<a href="#cite_note-3">[3]</a> and networking information including the system <a href="IP_address" title="IP address">IP address</a> and current rates of upload and download. Other possible displays may include the date and time, <a href="Uptime" title="Uptime">system uptime</a>, computer name, username, hard drive <a href="Self-Monitoring%2C_Analysis%2C_and_Reporting_Technology" class="mw-redirect" title="Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology">S.M.A.R.T.</a> data, <a href="Computer_fan" title="Computer fan">fan</a> speeds, and the voltages being provided by the power supply.

Less common are hardware-based systems monitoring similar information. Customarily these occupy one or more <a href="Drive_bay" title="Drive bay">drive bays</a> on the front of the <a href="Computer_case" title="Computer case">computer case</a>, and either interface directly with the system hardware or connect to a software data-collection system via <a href="Universal_Serial_Bus" class="mw-redirect" title="Universal Serial Bus">USB</a>. With either approach to gathering data, the monitoring system displays information on a small <a href="Liquid_crystal_display" class="mw-redirect" title="Liquid crystal display">LCD</a> panel or on series of small analog or LED numeric displays. Some hardware-based system monitors also allow direct control of fan speeds, allowing the user to quickly customize the cooling in the system.

The primary function of a few very high-end models of hardware system monitor is to interface with only a specific model of <a href="PC_motherboard" class="mw-redirect" title="PC motherboard">motherboard</a>. These systems directly utilize the sensors built into the system, providing more detailed and accurate information than less-expensive monitoring systems customarily provide.

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Software_monitoring">Software monitoring</h2></div>

Software monitoring tools operate<a href="#cite_note-4">[4]</a> within the device they're monitoring.<a href="#cite_note-5">[5]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Hardware_monitoring">Hardware monitoring</h2></div>

Unlike software monitoring tools, hardware measurement tools can either located within the device being measure, or they can be attached and operate from an external location.<a href="#cite_note-LibaBook-6">[6]</a>: p.84

A hardware monitor is a common component of modern <a href="Motherboard" title="Motherboard">motherboards</a>, which can either come as a separate chip, often interfaced through <a href="I2C" class="mw-redirect" title="I2C">I2C</a> or <a href="System_Management_Bus" title="System Management Bus">SMBus</a>, or as part of a <a href="Super_I/O" title="Super I/O">Super I/O</a> solution, often interfaced through <a href="Low_Pin_Count" title="Low Pin Count">Low Pin Count</a> (LPC).<a href="#cite_note-ieee07-7">[7]</a> These devices make it possible to monitor temperature in the <a href="Computer_case" title="Computer case">chassis</a>, voltage supplied to the motherboard by the <a href="Power_supply_unit_(computer)" title="Power supply unit (computer)">power supply unit</a> and the speed of the <a href="Computer_fan" title="Computer fan">computer fans</a> that are connected directly to one of the fan headers on the motherboard. Many of these hardware monitors also have <a href="Computer_fan_control" title="Computer fan control">fan controlling</a> capabilities.<a href="#cite_note-ieee07-7">[7]</a> System monitoring software like <a href="SpeedFan" title="SpeedFan">SpeedFan</a> on Windows, <a href="Lm_sensors" title="Lm sensors">lm_sensors</a> on Linux, <a href="Envstat" class="mw-redirect" title="Envstat">envstat</a> on NetBSD, and sysctl <a href="Hw.sensors" title="Hw.sensors">hw.sensors</a> on OpenBSD and DragonFly can interface with these chips to relay this environmental <a href="Sensor" title="Sensor">sensor</a> information to the user.

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Privacy">Privacy</h2></div>

When an individual user is measuring the performance of a single-user system, whether it is a standalone box or a <a href="Virtual_machine" title="Virtual machine">virtual machine</a> on a <a href="Multi-user_system" class="mw-redirect" title="Multi-user system">multi-user system</a>, access does not <a href="Privacy_breach" class="mw-redirect" title="Privacy breach">impede</a> the <a href="Information_privacy" title="Information privacy">privacy</a> of others.<a href="#cite_note-LibaBook-6">[6]</a>: p.114 Privacy becomes an issue when someone other than the end-user, such as a <a href="System_administrator" title="System administrator">system manager</a>,<a href="#cite_note-LibaBook-6">[6]</a>: p.115 has legitimate need to access data about other users.

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Resource_usage">Resource usage</h2></div>

When events occur faster than a monitor can record them, a workaround is needed, such as replacing event recording with simple counting.<a href="#cite_note-LibaBook-6">[6]</a>: p.89

Another consideration is not having major impact on the CPU and storage available for useful work. While a hardware monitor will usually have less impact than a software monitor, there are data items, such as "some descriptive information, such as program names"<a href="#cite_note-LibaBook-6">[6]</a>: p.91 that must involve software.

A further consideration is that a bug in this domain can have severe impact: an extreme case would "cause the OS to <a href="Computer_crash" class="mw-redirect" title="Computer crash">crash</a>".<a href="#cite_note-8">[8]</a>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="List_of_software_monitors">List of software monitors</h2></div>

Single system:

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<ul><li><a href="Activity_Monitor_(macOS)" class="mw-redirect" title="Activity Monitor (macOS)">Activity Monitor</a></li>

<li><a href="Conky_(software)" title="Conky (software)">Conky</a></li>

<li><a href="Hw.sensors" title="Hw.sensors">hw.sensors</a> on OpenBSD and DragonFly BSD<a href="#cite_note-ieee07-7">[7]</a><a href="#cite_note-sensors-mmath-9">[9]</a></li>

<li><a href="Iftop" title="Iftop">iftop</a></li>

<li><a href="Iostat" title="Iostat">iostat</a></li>

<li><a href="KDE_System_Guard" title="KDE System Guard">KDE System Guard</a> (KSysguard)</li>

<li><a href="Lm_sensors" title="Lm sensors">lm_sensors</a><a href="#cite_note-ieee07-7">[7]</a></li>

<li><a href="Monit" title="Monit">monit</a></li>

<li><a href="Monitorix" title="Monitorix">Monitorix</a></li>

<li>Motherboard Monitor</li>

<li><a href="Netdata" title="Netdata">Netdata</a></li>

<li><a href="Process_Explorer" title="Process Explorer">Process Explorer</a></li>

<li><a href="Resource_Monitor" title="Resource Monitor">Resource Monitor</a> (resmon)</li>

<li><a href="Samurize" title="Samurize">Samurize</a></li>

<li><a href="SpeedFan" title="SpeedFan">SpeedFan</a><a href="#cite_note-ieee07-7">[7]</a></li>

<li>sysmon/<a href="Envsys" title="Envsys">envsys</a> on NetBSD<a href="#cite_note-ieee07-7">[7]</a><a href="#cite_note-sensors-mmath-9">[9]</a></li>

<li><a href="Systat_(BSD)" title="Systat (BSD)">systat</a></li>

<li><a href="System_Monitor" class="mw-redirect" title="System Monitor">System Monitor</a> (sysmon)</li>

<li><a href="Vmstat" title="Vmstat">vmstat</a></li>

<li><a href="Windows_Desktop_Gadgets" title="Windows Desktop Gadgets">Windows Desktop Gadgets</a><a href="#cite_note-10">[10]</a><a href="#cite_note-11">[11]</a></li>

<li><a href="Windows_Task_Manager" class="mw-redirect" title="Windows Task Manager">Windows Task Manager</a></li></ul>

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Distributed:

<ul><li><a href="Argus_(monitoring_software)" title="Argus (monitoring software)">Argus (monitoring software)</a></li>

<li><a href="Collectd" title="Collectd">Collectd</a></li>

<li><a href="Ganglia_(software)" title="Ganglia (software)">Ganglia</a></li>

<li><a href="GKrellM" title="GKrellM">GKrellM</a></li>

<li><a href="HP_SiteScope" class="mw-redirect" title="HP SiteScope">HP SiteScope</a></li>

<li><a href="Icinga" title="Icinga">Icinga</a></li>

<li><a href="Monit" title="Monit">monit</a> (paid version M/monit)</li>

<li><a href="Munin_(software)" title="Munin (software)">Munin</a></li>

<li><a href="Nagios" title="Nagios">Nagios</a></li>

<li>NetCrunch</li>

<li>Opmantek</li>

<li><a href="Pandora_FMS" title="Pandora FMS">Pandora FMS</a></li>

<li><a href="Performance_Monitor" title="Performance Monitor">Performance Monitor</a> (perfmon)</li>

<li><a href="Prometheus_(software)" title="Prometheus (software)">Prometheus (software)</a></li>

<li>symon<a href="#cite_note-symon-12">[12]</a></li>

<li>Vigilo NMS (Enterprise Editions)</li>

<li><a href="Zenoss_Core" class="mw-redirect" title="Zenoss Core">Zenoss Core</a></li></ul>

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<ul><li><a href="Application_performance_management" title="Application performance management">Application performance management</a> (APM)</li>

<li><a href="Application_service_management" title="Application service management">Application service management</a> (ASM)</li>

<li><a href="I2C" class="mw-redirect" title="I2C">I2C</a> and <a href="SMBus" class="mw-redirect" title="SMBus">SMBus</a></li>

<li><a href="Network_monitoring" title="Network monitoring">Network monitoring</a></li>

<li><a href="Mean_time_between_failures" title="Mean time between failures">Mean time between failures</a> (MTBF)</li>

<li><a href="Intelligent_Platform_Management_Interface" title="Intelligent Platform Management Interface">Intelligent Platform Management Interface</a> (IPMI)</li>

<li><a href="System_profiler" title="System profiler">System profiler</a></li>

<li><a href="Website_monitoring" title="Website monitoring">Website monitoring</a></li></ul>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2></div>

<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://news.softpedia.com/news/Monitoring-a-Linux-System-With-X11-Console-Web-Based-Tools-51678.shtml">Monitoring a Linux System with X11/Console/Web-Based Tools</a></li></ul></div><div><div class="zim-footer">

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