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.
check your answer
Answer key
What should your command prove?
A memory summary with available RAM and swap usage, followed by the highest memory-consuming processes.
How to explain it
Memory triage starts by distinguishing cache, available memory, swap activity, and process-level usage.
What to avoid
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
answer check
Compare expected output
Open these command examples to compare your answer against realistic output.
next practice
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