practice task
Check Memory Pressure Before Restarting
A server is slow and someone wants to restart the app. You need to see whether RAM, swap, or a specific process is the likely cause.
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Try first
free -h && ps aux --sort=-%mem | headGoal
Read memory totals and identify the top memory consumers without changing service state.
Expected output
A memory summary with available RAM and swap usage, followed by the highest memory-consuming processes.
Teaches
Memory triage starts by distinguishing cache, available memory, swap activity, and process-level usage.
Common mistake
Reading Linux buff/cache as wasted memory or restarting the largest process without checking whether the system is actually under pressure.
command set
Commands to know
free -hps aux --sort=-%mem | headvmstat 1 5
Watch this command run
Example output from a temporary Linux lab
Check Memory Pressure With free
Review the related command card and compare your expected output with the command replay.
Watch command runFind Top Memory Processes With ps
Review the related command card and compare your expected output with the command replay.
Watch command runnext practice
Review Failed SSH Logins
A public VPS has SSH exposed and you need to see whether failed login attempts are normal background noise or focused guessing against real usernames.