how to troubleshoot a slow Linux server
Tags: linux, cloud, beginners, tutorial
Published: 2022-08-30 10:49:00

If your linux server is running slowly, don’t worry – you’re not alone. This problem is very common, and there are a few things you can do to troubleshoot the issue. In this blog post, we will discuss four methods that you can use to speed up your linux server. We will also provide some tips for preventing future slowdowns. Let’s get started!

## Check your Linux server’s load average in Linux

The first thing you should do when troubleshooting a slow linux server is to check the load average. The load average is a measure of how much processing power your server is using. If the load average is high, it means that your server is under a lot of stress and may be running slowly as a result.

There are a few ways to check the load average on your Linux server. One way is to use the top command. This will show you the current load averages for your system, as well as a list of the processes that are using the most resources.

Another way to check the load average is to look at the /proc/loadavg file. This file contains the same information as the top command, but it is displayed in a more easy-to-read format.

If you find that the [load average is high in Linux](https://www.howtouselinux.com/post/linux-cpu-load-average), there are a few things you can do to reduce it. One option is to kill some of the processes that are using the most resources. Another option is to add more processing power to your system by adding more CPUs or increasing the clock speed of your existing CPUs.
[2 ways to Check CPU usage in Linux](https://www.howtouselinux.com/post/cpu-utilization-us-sy-wa-means-in-ubuntu-linux-linux-performance)

## Check disk IO issues in Linux

Another common cause of slowdowns on linux servers is disk IO issues. When your server needs to read or write data to its disks, this can take up a lot of time and cause your system to run slowly.

You can use the [iotop command](https://www.howtouselinux.com/post/check-disk-io-usage-per-process-with-iotop-on-linux) to check for disk IO issues on your system. This command will show you a list of the processes that are currently doing the most disk IO. If you see that a particular process is using a lot of resources, you may want to kill it or investigate it further.

You can also use the [iostat command to check for disk IO issues](https://www.howtouselinux.com/post/debugging-disk-usage-in-linux). This command will show you a variety of information about your system, including the amount of time that your disks are spending idle, reading, or writing data.

If you find that disk IO is causing your system to run slowly, there are a few things you can do to improve the situation. One option is to add more disks to your system so that there is less contention for resources. Another option is to use a faster disk interface such as SSD.

## Check memory leaks in Linux

Another common cause of slowdowns on linux servers is memory leaks. A memory leak is when a process allocates more memory than it needs and doesn’t free it up when it’s finished using it. This can cause your system to run out of memory and start swapping data to disk, which can make your system run very slowly.

You can use the top command to check for memory leaks on your system. This command will show you a list of the processes that are currently using the most memory. If you see that a particular process is using a lot of resources, you may want to kill it or investigate it further.

[4 Ways to check memory usage in Linux](https://www.howtouselinux.com/post/linux-command-check-memory-usage-in-linux)

You can also use the free command to check for memory leaks. This command will show you a variety of information about your system’s memory usage, including the amount of free memory, used memory, and cached memory.

If you find that a memory leak is causing your system to run slowly, there are a few things you can do to fix the problem. One option is to kill the process that is leaking memory. Another option is to restart the server so that all of the processes are started fresh and don’t have any leaked memory.

## Check network issues in Linux

Another common cause of slowdowns on linux servers is network issues. If your server is having trouble communicating with other computers on the network, this can cause your system to run slowly.

You can use the [ping command](https://www.howtouselinux.com/post/ping-icmp) to check for network issues on your system. This command will send a test packet to another computer on the network and measure the time it takes for the packet to return. If you find that the ping times are high, this may be indicative of a problem with your network connection.
[6 ways to fix network issues in Linux](https://www.howtouselinux.com/post/fix-network-issues-in-linux)

You can also use the [traceroute](https://www.howtouselinux.com/post/traceroute) command to check for network issues. This command will show you the route that packets take from your server to another computer on the network. If you see that there are a lot of hops or that the route is taking an unusually long time, this may be indicative of a problem with your network connection.

If you find that network issues are causing your system to run slowly, there are a few things you can do to improve the situation. One option is to add more bandwidth to your network connection. Another option is to use a faster network interface such as Ethernet or WiFi.

These are just a few of the most common causes of slowdowns on linux servers. By troubleshooting and fixing these problems, you can help keep your server running smoothly. Thanks for reading! We hope this helps!

[check the load average on your Linux server](https://sslhow.com/check-load-average-in-linux)