Essential Monitoring in a VM
Several key metrics should be monitored on a virtual machine (VM) to ensure optimal performance and availability. Here are some of the most important metrics to track:
CPU usage: The CPU usage metric tracks the percentage of CPU resources the VM utilises. High CPU usage can indicate that the VM is overworked or that resource-hungry applications are running on it.
Memory usage: Memory usage measures the amount of RAM the VM uses. High memory usage can lead to performance issues and slow down the VM.
Disk usage: Disk usage measures the amount of disk space the VM uses. Monitoring this metric can help prevent disk space shortages that can cause VM failures.
Network usage: Network usage measures the amount of network traffic the VM uses. This metric is crucial for VMs that handle a lot of network traffic, such as web servers.
Disk I/O: Disk I/O measures the speed at which data is being read from and written to the VM's disks. High disk I/O can indicate that the VM's disks struggle to keep up with the workload.
CPU ready time: CPU ready time measures the time a VM waits for CPU resources to become available. High CPU ready time can indicate that the VM is not getting enough CPU resources from the host machine.
Page file usage: Page file usage measures the data swapped between the VM's RAM and hard disk. High page file usage can lead to performance issues and slow the VM.
Monitoring these metrics can help detect performance issues early and allow for prompt remediation, thereby ensuring the VM's optimal performance and availability.
