How to Check Processes Running on EC2 Using Command
In the world of cloud computing, Amazon Web Services (AWS) EC2 instances are widely used for their flexibility and scalability. Managing processes on these instances is an essential task for any system administrator or developer. In this article, we will discuss how to check processes running on EC2 instances using various commands. By the end of this guide, you will be able to identify and troubleshoot running processes on your EC2 instances efficiently.
1. Using the ‘ps’ Command
The ‘ps’ command is a powerful tool that provides information about currently running processes on a Unix-like system. To check processes running on an EC2 instance, you can use the following command:
“`
ps aux
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This command will display a list of all processes running on the instance, along with their associated user, CPU usage, memory usage, and more. You can use the ‘grep’ command to filter the output based on specific criteria, such as the process name or user.
2. Using the ‘top’ Command
The ‘top’ command is another useful tool for monitoring processes on an EC2 instance. It provides a dynamic real-time view of the system’s processes and their resource usage. To check processes running on your EC2 instance, use the following command:
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top
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This command will display a list of all processes, sorted by CPU usage. You can press ‘H’ to view the help menu, which includes various options for customizing the output.
3. Using the ‘htop’ Command
For a more interactive and feature-rich alternative to ‘top’, you can use ‘htop’. It is a text-based process viewer and monitor for Unix-like operating systems. To install and use ‘htop’ on your EC2 instance, follow these steps:
1. Update your package manager:
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sudo apt-get update
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2. Install ‘htop’:
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sudo apt-get install htop
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3. Run ‘htop’:
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htop
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‘htop’ will now provide you with an interactive interface to monitor and manage processes on your EC2 instance.
4. Using the ‘pgrep’ and ‘pkill’ Commands
The ‘pgrep’ and ‘pkill’ commands are useful for finding and killing processes on an EC2 instance. ‘pgrep’ can be used to find the process ID (PID) of a specific process, while ‘pkill’ can be used to send signals to a process or group of processes.
To find the PID of a process, use the following command:
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pgrep -f process_name
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Replace ‘process_name’ with the name of the process you want to find.
To kill a process, use the following command:
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pkill -f process_name
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This will send a signal to the process, causing it to terminate.
5. Using the ‘systemd’ Command
For processes managed by the systemd init system, you can use the ‘systemctl’ command to check their status and manage them. To check the status of a service, use the following command:
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systemctl status service_name
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Replace ‘service_name’ with the name of the service you want to check.
To enable or disable a service, use the following commands:
“`
systemctl enable service_name
systemctl disable service_name
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By following these steps and utilizing the mentioned commands, you can effectively check processes running on your EC2 instances. This knowledge will help you maintain the health and performance of your cloud-based applications.
