# linux # load Load average (system load) is a metric that indicates the average number of processes that are waiting to be executed (in queue) or are actively being executed on a system over a specific time interval. This metric is particularly useful for assessing system load and its capability to handle demands. ### Load Average in Unix/Linux In Unix-like systems (such as Linux, macOS, and FreeBSD), the load average is presented in various contexts, typically as three numbers representing the load over the last 1, 5, and 15 minutes, respectively. For instance, if you run the command `uptime` on Linux: ```sh $ uptime 15:30:00 up 1 day, 3:45, 2 users, load average: 0.08, 0.05, 0.01 ``` Here, the load average is displayed as `0.08, 0.05, 0.01`. These numbers signify the average number of processes that are waiting to be executed or are actively executing on the system during the last 1, 5, and 15 minutes, respectively. ### Interpreting Load Average Values 1. **Less than one:** Generally, values below 1 indicate that the system load is low and the system is functioning well. 2. **Equal to or close to the number of CPU cores:** This is an acceptable value that indicates the system is operating within its capabilities. For example, if you have a 4-core processor and the load average is near 4, the system is relatively at full capacity. 3. **Greater than the number of CPU cores:** This may indicate that the system resources are being exceeded, which can lead to delays in responding to requests. ### Causes of High Load Average - **High number of active processes:** For example, a significant number of running applications or services. - **Input/Output (I/O) delays:** Such as when the disk subsystem is unable to keep up with requests. - **Network load:** A large volume of network traffic. - **CPU load:** A high number of computational tasks. ### Utilizing Load Average Load average is a critical metric for monitoring system performance and planning infrastructure scaling. By leveraging this metric, administrators can respond to loads by increasing resources (such as CPU or memory) or optimizing applications to reduce the load on the system. In summary, load average helps understand how effectively your system manages current workloads and whether additional resources are necessary to ensure stable operation.