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XK0-006 Practice Question: A systems administrator wants to monitor system…
A systems administrator wants to monitor system performance in real time. Which TWO commands can be used to display live updating information about processes, CPU, and memory usage? (Select TWO.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse static commands like `ps aux` with live monitoring tools, or they mistake `vmstat 1` for a process-level viewer when it actually provides aggregate system statistics without per-process details.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
top
Option A, top, is correct because it launches an interactive, continuously refreshing view of running processes along with live CPU and memory utilization, updating by default every few seconds until you quit. Option B, htop, is also correct because it is an enhanced interactive process viewer that likewise refreshes in real time and displays per-process CPU and memory statistics in a full-screen, live-updating interface. Option C, ps aux, is not correct because ps produces a one-time static snapshot of current processes and exits immediately rather than updating live. Option D, sar -u 1 5, is not correct because although it samples CPU utilization at one-second intervals for five iterations, it reports historical/interval statistics rather than an interactive live-updating display. Option E, vmstat 1, is not correct because it prints periodic one-second samples of virtual memory, CPU, and I/O statistics to standard output but does not provide the live, interactive process-level monitoring the scenario requires.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
top
Why this is correct
`top` refreshes process, CPU and memory statistics continuously in the terminal, satisfying the real-time monitoring requirement. Unlike snapshot tools such as `ps`, it updates its display on an interval until quit, letting the administrator observe live resource consumption as it changes.
- ✓
htop
Why this is correct
htop provides an interactive, continuously refreshing view of per-process CPU and memory consumption, satisfying the requirement for live updating information. Unlike one-shot tools such as ps or top's batch output, it redraws the process list in real time and supports scrolling and sorting, letting the administrator observe performance changes as they occur.
- ✗
ps aux
Why it's wrong here
ps aux prints a single static snapshot of current processes and then exits, so it cannot update live. It is tempting because it lists CPU and memory columns, but it would be correct for capturing a one-off process listing rather than continuous real-time monitoring.
- ✗
sar -u 1 5
Why it's wrong here
sar -u 1 5 samples CPU utilisation five times at one-second intervals, then terminates; it reports historical or interval statistics rather than a live updating display. It is tempting because it collects CPU data, but it would be correct for retrospective performance reporting.
- ✗
vmstat 1
Why it's wrong here
vmstat 1 refreshes every second, but its columns report aggregate CPU, memory and I/O counters, not per-process detail, so it cannot show which processes are consuming resources. It is tempting because it does provide live updating statistics, and would suit capacity trending or spotting swap and run-queue pressure.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Managing Storage and File Systems
Key term
Process
In IT service management, a process is a structured set of activities designed to accomplish a specific objective, such as managing incidents or changes, by transforming inputs into defined outputs.
Key term
Output
In IT service management, output is the result or deliverable produced by a process, system, or component, such as data, reports, or services delivered to a customer.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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