sysstat/sysstat

Free

Performance monitoring tools for Linux

FreeFree tier

Type

Open Source

Visit Website GitHub (38 stars)

About sysstat/sysstat

The sysstat package is a collection of performance monitoring utilities for the Linux operating system, common to many commercial Unixes. It includes tools such as iostat (CPU and I/O statistics for block devices), mpstat (individual or combined processor statistics), pidstat (statistics for Linux tasks: I/O, CPU, memory), tapestat (tape drive statistics), and cifsiostat (CIFS statistics). It also contains utilities for historical data collection and reporting: sar (system activity reporter), sadc (system activity data collector), sa1 and sa2 (scripts for cron/systemd scheduling), and sadf (data display in CSV, XML, JSON, or SVG formats). The package can be scheduled via cron or systemd to collect and historize performance data, with a default sampling interval of 10 minutes. Developed since 1999 by Sébastien GODARD, it is a widely used open-source solution for Linux system monitoring.

Key Features

iostat reports CPU and input/output statistics for block devices and partitions

mpstat reports individual or combined processor related statistics

pidstat reports statistics for Linux tasks: I/O, CPU, memory, etc.

tapestat reports statistics for tape drives

cifsiostat reports CIFS statistics

sar collects, reports, and saves system activity information

sadc is the system activity data collector, backend for sar

sa1 and sa2 scripts for collecting and summarizing daily activity via cron/systemd

sadf displays data in CSV, XML, JSON, and SVG formats

Supports SVG graph generation for various activities

Pros & Cons

Pros

Comprehensive set of tools covering CPU, I/O, memory, process, tape, and CIFS statistics
Open source and free to use (GPL licensed)
Long-standing project with maintenance since 1999
Supports historical data collection through cron/systemd scheduling
Flexible output formats: text, CSV, XML, JSON, and SVG
Standard tool in many Linux distributions

Cons

Primarily command-line based, no built-in graphical dashboard
Requires manual configuration for continuous and scheduled monitoring
Steeper learning curve for users unfamiliar with traditional Unix monitoring tools
Limited to Linux systems only

Best For

System performance monitoring and troubleshootingCPU, memory, and I/O bottleneck analysisProcess and task activity trackingTape drive and CIFS performance monitoringHistorical performance data collection and analysisCapacity planning and resource utilization reportingGenerating performance graphs and reports in multiple formats

FAQ

What utilities are included in the sysstat package?

Sysstat includes iostat, mpstat, pidstat, tapestat, cifsiostat for live monitoring, and sar, sadc, sa1, sa2, sadf for historical data collection and reporting.

Is sysstat free to use?

Yes, sysstat is open source and free to use, licensed under the GPL.