--- title: Processes description: Capture metrics and monitor the status of running processes. breadcrumbs: Docs > Integrations > Processes --- # Processes Supported OS Integration version5.5.0 ## Overview{% #overview %} The Process Check lets you: - Collect resource usage metrics for specific running processes on any host. For example, CPU, memory, I/O, and number of threads. - Use [Process Monitors](https://docs.datadoghq.com/monitors/create/types/process_check/?tab=checkalert) to configure thresholds for how many instances of a specific process should be running and get alerts when the thresholds aren't met (see **Service Checks** below). **Minimum Agent version:** 6.0.0 ## Setup{% #setup %} ### Installation{% #installation %} The Process check is included in the [Datadog Agent](https://app.datadoghq.com/account/settings/agent/latest) package, so you don't need to install anything else on your server. ### Configuration{% #configuration %} Unlike many checks, the Process check doesn't monitor anything useful by default. You must configure which processes you want to monitor. While there's no standard default check configuration, here's an example `process.d/conf.yaml` that monitors SSH/SSHD processes. See the [sample process.d/conf.yaml](https://github.com/DataDog/integrations-core/blob/master/process/datadog_checks/process/data/conf.yaml.example) for all available configuration options: ```yaml init_config: instances: - name: ssh search_string: - ssh - sshd ``` **Note**: After you make configuration changes, make sure you [restart the Agent](https://docs.datadoghq.com/agent/guide/agent-commands/#start-stop-and-restart-the-agent). Retrieving some process metrics requires the Datadog collector to either run as the monitored process user or with privileged access. For the `open_file_descriptors` metric on Unix platforms, there is an additional configuration option. Setting `try_sudo` to `true` in your `conf.yaml` file allows the Process check to try using `sudo` to collect the `open_file_descriptors` metric. Using this configuration option requires setting the appropriate sudoers rules in `/etc/sudoers`: ```shell dd-agent ALL=NOPASSWD: /bin/ls /proc/*/fd/ ``` ### Validation{% #validation %} Run the [Agent's status subcommand](https://docs.datadoghq.com/agent/guide/agent-commands/#agent-status-and-information) and look for `process` under the Checks section. ### Metrics notes{% #metrics-notes %} The following metrics are not available on Linux or macOS: - Process I/O metrics are **not** available on Linux or macOS since the files that the Agent reads (`/proc//io`) are only readable by the process's owner. For more information, [read the Agent FAQ](https://docs.datadoghq.com/agent/faq/why-don-t-i-see-the-system-processes-open-file-descriptors-metric/). The following metrics are not available on Windows: - `system.cpu.iowait` - `system.processes.mem.page_faults.minor_faults` - `system.processes.mem.page_faults.children_minor_faults` - `system.processes.mem.page_faults.major_faults` - `system.processes.mem.page_faults.children_major_faults` - `system.processes.mem.real` **Note**: Use a [WMI check](https://docs.datadoghq.com/integrations/wmi_check/) to gather page fault metrics on Windows. **Note**: In v6.11+ on Windows, the Agent runs as `ddagentuser` instead of `Local System`. Because of [this](https://docs.datadoghq.com/agent/guide/windows-agent-ddagent-user/#process-check), it does not have access to the full command line of processes running under other users and to the user of other users' processes. This causes the following options of the check to not work: - `exact_match` when set to `false` - `user`, which allows selecting processes that belong to a specific user All metrics are per `instance` configured in process.yaml, and are tagged `process_name:`. The `system.processes.cpu.pct` metric sent by this check is only accurate for processes that live for more than 30 seconds. Do not expect its value to be accurate for shorter-lived processes. For the full list of metrics, see the Metrics section. ## Data Collected{% #data-collected %} ### Metrics{% #metrics %} | | | | | **system.processes.cpu.pct**(gauge) | The CPU utilization of a process.*Shown as percent* | | **system.processes.cpu.normalized\_pct**(gauge) | The normalized CPU utilization of a process.*Shown as percent* | | **system.processes.involuntary\_ctx\_switches**(gauge) | The number of involuntary context switches performed by this process.*Shown as event* | | **system.processes.ioread\_bytes**(gauge) | The number of bytes read from disk by this process. In Windows: the number of bytes read.*Shown as byte* | | **system.processes.ioread\_bytes\_count**(count) | The number of bytes read from disk by this process. In Windows: the number of bytes read.*Shown as byte* | | **system.processes.ioread\_count**(gauge) | The number of disk reads by this process. In Windows: the number of reads by this process.*Shown as read* | | **system.processes.iowrite\_bytes**(gauge) | The number of bytes written to disk by this process. In Windows: the number of bytes written by this process.*Shown as byte* | | **system.processes.iowrite\_bytes\_count**(count) | The number of bytes written to disk by this process. In Windows: the number of bytes written by this process.*Shown as byte* | | **system.processes.iowrite\_count**(gauge) | The number of disk writes by this process. In Windows: the number of writes by this process.*Shown as write* | | **system.processes.mem.page\_faults.minor\_faults**(gauge) | In Unix/Linux and macOS: The number of minor page faults per second for this process.*Shown as occurrence* | | **system.processes.mem.page\_faults.children\_minor\_faults**(gauge) | In Unix/Linux and macOS: The number of minor page faults per second for children of this process.*Shown as occurrence* | | **system.processes.mem.page\_faults.major\_faults**(gauge) | In Unix/Linux and macOS: The number of major page faults per second for this process.*Shown as occurrence* | | **system.processes.mem.page\_faults.children\_major\_faults**(gauge) | In Unix/Linux and macOS: The number of major page faults per second for children of this process.*Shown as occurrence* | | **system.processes.mem.pct**(gauge) | The process memory consumption.*Shown as percent* | | **system.processes.mem.real**(gauge) | The non-swapped physical memory a process has used and cannot be shared with another process (Linux only).*Shown as byte* | | **system.processes.mem.rss**(gauge) | The non-swapped physical memory a process has used. aka "Resident Set Size".*Shown as byte* | | **system.processes.mem.vms**(gauge) | The total amount of virtual memory used by the process. aka "Virtual Memory Size".*Shown as byte* | | **system.processes.number**(gauge) | The number of processes.*Shown as process* | | **system.processes.open\_file\_descriptors**(gauge) | The number of file descriptors used by this process (only available for processes run as the dd-agent user) | | **system.processes.open\_handles**(gauge) | The number of handles used by this process. | | **system.processes.threads**(gauge) | The number of threads used by this process.*Shown as thread* | | **system.processes.voluntary\_ctx\_switches**(gauge) | The number of voluntary context switches performed by this process.*Shown as event* | | **system.processes.run\_time.avg**(gauge) | The average running time of all instances of this process*Shown as second* | | **system.processes.run\_time.max**(gauge) | The longest running time of all instances of this process*Shown as second* | | **system.processes.run\_time.min**(gauge) | The shortest running time of all instances of this process*Shown as second* | ### Events{% #events %} The Process Check does not include any events. ### Service Checks{% #service-checks %} **process.up** Returns OK if the check is within the warning thresholds, CRITICAL if it's outside of the critical thresholds, and WARNING if it's outside of the warning thresholds. *Statuses: ok, warning, critical* ## Troubleshooting{% #troubleshooting %} Need help? Contact [Datadog support](https://docs.datadoghq.com/help/). ## Further Reading{% #further-reading %} - [Monitor process resource consumption at a glance](https://www.datadoghq.com/blog/process-check-monitoring)