Difference between TOP and ESXTOP command.

[MrVmware9423]

Dear VMware Experts,

I Just want to know the difference between TOP and ESXTOP command, once i run the top command or esxtop command i m getting the different CPU load statistics, following is the snap of the same.

regards

Mr VMware

[larstr]

Mr VMware,

top only show stats for the virtual machine that you're seeing on the console of your ESX host also known as the Service Console. That's also why you're only seeing limited memory and a single cpu present.

esxtop is a customized version of (bsd) top that will give you statistics of the  virtual environment. esxtop is an excellent tool for getting detalied info on the environment of a single host.

For more information on esxtop please see here:

http://www.yellow-bricks.com/esxtop/

http://www.vreference.com/public/vReference-esxtop1.2.pdf

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1008205

Good luck!

Lars

[MrVmware9423]

Dear Lars,

Many thanks for the detailed  explanation.

One query,ESXi server won't have service console then if we run top command on an ESXi server then which statistics it shows????

Regards

MrVMware

[weinstein5]

Top will not run just for that very reason that there i no service console - 

[MrVmware9423]

Thanks weinstein5 sir for ur prompt reply....

as per Lars if we run top command on ESX server it show the service console stats, what if we run top command in ESXi server ???

Regards

MrVMware.

[eeg3]

As weinstein5 was saying, top is not installed on ESXi:

~ # top
-sh: top: not found

[MrVmware9423]

Thanks egg3

u mean to say we won't be able to run "top" command ??

Regards

MrVMware.

[larstr · Accepted solution]

u mean to say we won't be able to run "top" command ??

That is correct.

The time and date of this login have been sent to the system logs.
VMware offers supported, powerful system administration tools.  Please
see www.vmware.com/go/sysadmintools for details.
The ESXi Shell can be disabled by an administrative user. See the
vSphere Security documentation for more information.
~ # top
-sh: top: not found
~ # 

Lars