Activity Monitor Instrument
The Activity Monitor instrument captures information about the load on the system measured against the virtual memory size. It can record information from a single process or from all processes running on the system.
The Activity Monitor instrument is associated with the following tasks:
“Examining Memory Usage with the Activity Monitor Trace Template” in Instruments User Guide
“Following Network Usage Through the Activity Monitor Trace Template” in Instruments User Guide
Platforms | iOS OS X |
Locations | Activity Monitor template Sudden Termination template Library pane |
Displayed Information
The Activity Monitor instrument displays the recorded information in the track pane and the Detail pane.
Track Pane
The track pane displays the information shown in Table 3-1, based on the instrument’s configuration. TotalVMSize, CPUTotalLoad, CPUUserLoad, and CPUSystemLoad are displayed by default.
Display name | Definition |
|---|---|
SampleNumber | The number of the sample taken. |
TotalThreads | The total number of threads. |
PhysicalMemoryWired | The amount of memory used by the operating system. |
PhysicalMemoryActive | The amount of memory currently used by processes. |
PhysicalMemoryInactive | The amount of memory that was recently released. |
PhysicalMemoryUsed | The total amount of memory that was used during the sample. |
PhysicalMemoryFree | The amount of memory available for use. |
TotalVMSize | The total size of the virtual memory. |
VMPageInBytes | The amount of memory calls to RAM. |
VmPageOutBytes | The amount of memory sent to the hard drive. |
VMSwapUsed | The amount of memory called from the hard drive. |
NetPacketsIn | The total number of network packets received. |
NetBytesIn | The total number of network bytes received. |
NetPacketsOut | The total number of network packets sent. |
NetBytesOut | The number of bytes sent each second. |
NetPacketsInPerSecond | The number of packets received each second. |
NetPacketsOutPerSecond | The number of packets sent each second. |
NetBytesInPerSecond | The number of bytes received each second. |
NetBytesOutPerSecond | The number of bytes sent each second. |
DiskReadOps | Total number of disk read operations. |
DiskBytesRead | Total number of bytes read. |
DiskWriteOps | Total number of disk write operations. |
DiskBytesWritten | The number of bytes written each second. |
DiskReadOpsPerSecond | The number of read operations each second. |
DiskWriteOpsPerSecond | The number of write operations each second. |
DiskBytesReadPerSecond | The number of bytes read each second. |
DiskBytesWrittenPerSecond | The number of bytes written each second. |
CPUTotalLoad | Percentage of the total load on the device during the sample. |
CPUUserLoad | Percentage of the load caused by the user during the sample. |
CPUSystemLoad | Percentage of the load caused by the user during the sample. |
CPUNiceLoad | Percentage of the load caused by processes with a priority different than their normal priority. |
Detail Pane
The Detail pane provides Summary information in Table 3-2.
Column heading | Definition |
|---|---|
Process ID | The process identifier. |
Process Name | The name of the process. |
User Name | The name of the user calling the process. |
% CPU | The percentage of the CPU used by the process. |
Threads | The number of threads used by the process. |
Real Mem | The amount of real memory used by the process. |
Virtual Mem | The amount of virtual memory used by the process. |
Architecture | The device architecture. |
CPU Time | The total CPU time used by the process. |
Sudden Term | Whether or not the process was suddenly terminated. |
The Detail pane provides Parent Child information in Table 3-3.
Column heading | Definition |
|---|---|
Process ID | The process identifier. |
Process Name | The name of the process. |
User Name | The name of the user calling the process. |
% CPU | The percentage of the CPU used by the process. |
Threads | The number of threads used by the process. |
Real Mem | The amount of real memory used by the process. |
Virtual Mem | The amount of virtual memory used by the process. |
Architecture | The device architecture. |
CPU Time | The total CPU time used by the process. |
Sudden Term | Whether or not the process was suddenly terminated. |
The Detail pane provides Samples information in Table 3-4.
Column heading | Definition |
|---|---|
Total Threads | The total number of threads active during the sample. |
Physical Memory Wired | The amount of memory used by the operating system. |
Physical Memory Active | The amount of memory currently used by processes. |
Physical Memory Inactive | The amount of memory that was recently released. |
Physical Memory Used | The total amount of memory that was used during the sample. |
Physical Memory Free | The amount of memory available for use. |
VM Size | The total size of the virtual memory. |
Page Ins | The amount of memory calls to RAM. |
Page Outs | The amount of memory sent to the hard drive. |
Swap Used | The amount of memory called from the hard drive. |
Net Packets In | The total number of network packets received. |
Net Bytes In | The total number of network bytes received. |
Net Packets Out | The total number of network packets sent. |
Net Bytes Out | The total number of network bytes sent. |
Net Packets In Per Second | The number of packets received each second. |
Net Packets Out Per Second | The number of packets sent each second. |
Net Bytes In Per Second | The number of bytes received each second. |
Net Bytes Out Per Second | The number of bytes sent each second. |
Disk Read Ops | Total number of disk read operations. |
Disk Bytes Read | Total number of bytes read. |
Disk Write Ops | Total number of disk write operations. |
Disk Bytes Written | Total number of bytes written |
Disk Read Ops Per Second | The number of read operations each second. |
Disk Write Ops Per Second | The number of write operations each second. |
Disk Bytes Read Per Second | The number of bytes read each second. |
Disk Bytes Written Per Second | The number of bytes written each second. |
% Total Load | Percentage of the total load on the device during the sample. |
% User Load | Percentage of the load caused by the user during the sample. |
% System Load | Percentage of the load caused by the operating system. |
Figure 3-1 shows the Activity Monitor instrument recording information from all running processes.
Configuration Options
You can configure how information is displayed in the track pane through the configuration dialog. Click the inspector icon to bring up the configuration dialog. Customize the following display options.
Target: Choose a target for this instrument. Available only if you choose Instrument Specific from the Target pop-up menu in the toolbar.
Sampling Rate: Choose how often the instrument records information. The slider allows sampling from 1/10th of a second to 1 second in 1/10 of a second increments. The field allows for other 1/10th increments.
System Statistics: Select a statistic to see it graphed in the track pane. Click the shape or the color well to change how a statistic is represented. Click Configure to see the back configuration page.
Track Display: Controls how information is displayed in the track pane, grouped by style, type, and zoom.
Style: How information is presented.
Line Graph: All points of information are connected by a line.
Filled Line Graph: All points of information are connect by a line. The area under the line is filled by the statistic’s designated color.
Point Graph: Information is represented by the statistic’s designated shape.
Block Graph: Information is presented as a horizontal line until the information changes. The area under the line is filled by the statistic’s designated color.
Type: How multiple parameters in one track are displayed.
Stacked: Each statistic has its own graph.
Overlay: All information is contained in one graph.
Zoom: The height of the data collection graph.
Select statistics to List: Select the statistics to be displayed on the front of the configuration page.
© 2013 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Last updated: 2013-04-23)