Skip to content

azlin top

Run distributed top command on all VMs.

Synopsis

azlin top [OPTIONS]

Description

Shows real-time CPU, memory, load, and top processes across all VMs in a unified dashboard that updates every N seconds.

Displays: - CPU usage per VM - Memory usage (used/total) - Load averages (1, 5, 15 min) - Top processes by CPU usage - VM status and connectivity

Press Ctrl+C to exit the dashboard.

Options

Option Description
--resource-group, --rg TEXT Resource group
--config PATH Config file path
-i, --interval INTEGER Refresh interval in seconds (default: 10)
-t, --timeout INTEGER SSH timeout per VM in seconds (default: 5)
-h, --help Show help message

Examples

Basic Usage

# Default: 10 second refresh
azlin top

Output: 

=== azlin-vm-12345 (20.1.2.3) ===
CPU: 15.2%  Memory: 2.1GB/8GB  Load: 0.45, 0.38, 0.32

TOP PROCESSES:
  PID   CPU%  MEM%  COMMAND
  1234  12.3  5.2   python app.py
  5678   2.1  3.1   node server.js

=== azlin-vm-67890 (20.1.2.4) ===
CPU: 45.8%  Memory: 6.3GB/16GB  Load: 2.1, 1.8, 1.5

TOP PROCESSES:
  PID   CPU%  MEM%  COMMAND
  9012  38.2  12.5  java -jar app.jar
  3456   5.1   4.2  postgres

Updating in 10s... (Ctrl+C to exit)

Fast Refresh

# 5 second refresh
azlin top -i 5

Updates every 5 seconds for near real-time monitoring.

Slow Refresh

# 15 second refresh
azlin top -i 15

Reduces load on VMs and network.

Specific Resource Group

# Monitor specific resource group
azlin top --rg my-resource-group

Custom Timeout

# 15s refresh, 10s SSH timeout
azlin top -i 15 -t 10

Useful for VMs with slow network connections.

Use Cases

Monitor Fleet Performance

# Watch all VMs
azlin top

See which VMs are busy, idle, or overloaded.

Identify Resource Issues

# Fast refresh to catch spikes
azlin top -i 5

Quickly identify CPU or memory problems.

Long-Term Monitoring

# Slow refresh for sustained monitoring
azlin top -i 30

Monitor over extended periods without excessive SSH connections.

Production Monitoring

# Monitor production VMs
azlin top --rg production-rg

Keep eye on production fleet.

Dashboard Information

Per-VM Metrics

Each VM displays:

  1. Header - VM name and IP address
  2. CPU - Current CPU usage percentage
  3. Memory - Used/Total memory
  4. Load - Load averages (1, 5, 15 minutes)
  5. Top Processes - Top 5 processes by CPU

VM Status Indicators

  • ✓ Running - VM responsive, showing metrics
  • ⚠ Warning - High CPU/memory usage
  • ✗ Error - Cannot connect to VM
  • ⏸ Stopped - VM is deallocated

Performance

Setting SSH Connections/Min Best For
-i 5 12 per VM Active debugging
-i 10 (default) 6 per VM General monitoring
-i 30 2 per VM Long-term observation

Interpreting Metrics

CPU Usage

  • 0-30% - Normal, idle or light load
  • 30-70% - Moderate load
  • 70-90% - High load, monitor closely
  • 90-100% - Saturated, investigate

Memory

  • < 80% - Healthy
  • 80-90% - High, watch for trends
  • 90-95% - Very high, may need more RAM
  • > 95% - Critical, system may swap

Load Average

For a system with N cores: - < N - CPU has capacity - = N - Fully utilized - > N - Overloaded, processes waiting

Troubleshooting

VM Not Responding

# Increase timeout
azlin top -t 15

Some VMs may need longer SSH timeout.

Connection Errors

# Verify VM is running
azlin list

# Test connectivity
azlin w

High Refresh Load

# Reduce refresh frequency
azlin top -i 30

Too-frequent refreshes can add load to VMs.

Missing VMs

# Check resource group
azlin list --rg my-rg

# Use correct resource group
azlin top --rg my-rg

Comparison with Other Commands

Command Purpose Update Frequency
azlin top Real-time dashboard Every N seconds
azlin ps Process snapshot One-time
azlin w User activity One-time
azlin status VM status One-time

See Also