# sa

## NAME



           sa -  summarizes accounting information
    


## SYNOPSIS



           **sa**[ **-a** | **--list-all-names**]
                  [ **-b** | **--sort-sys-user-div-calls**]
                  [ **-c** | **--percentages**] [ **-d** | **--sort-avio**]
                  [ **-D** | **--sort-tio**] [ **-f** | **--not-interactive**]
                  [ **-i** | **--dont-read-summary-files**]
                  [ **-j** | **--print-seconds**] [ **-k** | **--sort-cpu-avmem**]
                  [ **-K** | **--sort-ksec**] [ **-l** | **--separate-times**]
                  [ **-m** | **--user-summary**] [ **-n** | **--sort-num-calls**]
                  [ **-p** | **--show-paging**] [ **-P** | **--show-paging-avg**]
                  [ **-r** | **--reverse-sort**] [ **-s** | **--merge**]
                  [ **-t** | **--print-ratio**] [ **-u** | **--print-users**]
                  [ **-v** _num_ | **--threshold** _num_ ] [ **--sort-real-time**]
                  [ **--debug**] [ **-V** | **--version**] [ **-h** | **--help**]
                  [ **--other-usracct-file** _filename_ ] [ **--ahz** _hz_ ]
                  [ **--other-savacct-file** _filename_ ]
                  [ [ **--other-acct-file**] _filename_ ]
    


## DESCRIPTION



           **sa** summarizes information about previously executed commands as
           recorded in the _acct_ file.  In addition, it condenses this data
           into a summary file named _savacct_ which contains the number of
           times the command was called and the system resources used.  The
           information can also be summarized on a per-user basis; **sa** will
           save this information into a file named _usracct._
    
           If no arguments are specified, **sa** will print information about all
           of the commands in the _acct_ file.
    
           If called with a file name as the last argument, **sa** will use that
           file instead of the system's default _acct_ file.
    
           By default, **sa** will sort the output by sum of user and system
           time.  If command names have unprintable characters, or are only
           called once, **sa** will sort them into a group called `***other'.  If
           more than one sorting option is specified, the list will be sorted
           by the one specified last on the command line.
    
           The output fields are labeled as follows:
    
           _cpu_
                   sum of system and user time in cpu minutes
    
           _re_
                   "elapsed time" in minutes
    
           _k_
                   cpu-time averaged core usage, in 1k units
    
           _avio_
                   average number of I/O operations per execution
    
           _tio_
                   total number of I/O operations
    
           _k*sec_
                   cpu storage integral (kilo-core seconds)
    
           _u_
                   user cpu time in cpu seconds
    
           _s_
                   system time in cpu seconds
    
           Note that these column titles do not appear in the first row of
           the table, but after each numeric entry (as units of measurement)
           in every row.  For example, you might see `79.29re', meaning 79.29
           cpu seconds of "real time".
    
           An asterisk will appear after the name of commands that forked but
           didn't call **exec.**
    
           GNU **sa** takes care to implement a number of features not found in
           other versions.  For example, most versions of **sa** don't pay
           attention to flags like `--print-seconds' and `--sort-num-calls'
           when printing out commands when combined with the `--user-summary'
           or `--print-users' flags.  GNU **sa** pays attention to these flags if
           they are applicable.  Also, MIPS' **sa** stores the average memory use
           as a short rather than a double, resulting in some round-off
           errors.  GNU **sa** uses double the whole way through.
    


## OPTIONS



           The availability of these program options depends on your
           operating system.  In specific, the members that appear in the
           **struct acct** of your system's process accounting header file
           (usually _acct.h_ ) determine which flags will be present.  For
           example, if your system's **struct acct** doesn't have the `ac_mem'
           field, the installed version of **sa** will not support the `--sort-
           cpu-avmem', `--sort-ksec', `-k', or `-K' options.
    
           In short, all of these flags may not be available on your machine.
    
           **-a, --list-all-names**
                  Force **sa** not to sort those command names with unprintable
                  characters and those used only once into the _***other_
                  group.
           **-b, --sort-sys-user-div-calls**
                  Sort the output by the sum of user and system time divided
                  by the number of calls.
           **-c, --percentages**
                  Print percentages of total time for the command's user,
                  system, and real time values.
           **-d, --sort-avio**
                  Sort the output by the average number of disk I/O
                  operations.
           **-D, --sort-tio**
                  Print and sort the output by the total number of disk I/O
                  operations.
           **-f, --not-interactive**
                  When using the `--threshold' option, assume that all
                  answers to interactive queries will be affirmative.
           **-i, --dont-read-summary-files**
                  Don't read the information in the system's default _savacct_
                  file.
           **-j, --print-seconds**
                  Instead of printing total minutes for each category, print
                  seconds per call.
           **-k, --sort-cpu-avmem**
                  Sort the output by cpu time average memory usage.
           **-K, --sort-ksec**
                  Print and sort the output by the cpu-storage integral.
           **-l, --separate-times**
                  Print separate columns for system and user time; usually
                  the two are added together and listed as `cpu'.
           **-m, --user-summary**
                  Print the number of processes and number of CPU minutes on
                  a per-user basis.
           **-n, --sort-num-calls**
                  Sort the output by the number of calls.  This is the
                  default sorting method.
           **-p, --show-paging**
                  Print the number of minor and major pagefaults and swaps.
           **-P, --show-paging-avg**
                  Print the number of minor and major pagefaults and swaps
                  divided by the number of calls.
           **-r, --reverse-sort**
                  Sort output items in reverse order.
           **-s, --merge**
                  Merge the summarized accounting data into the summary files
                  _savacct_ and _usracct._
           **-t, --print-ratio**
                  For each entry, print the ratio of real time to the sum of
                  system and user times.  If the sum of system and user times
                  is too small to report--the sum is zero--`*ignore*' will
                  appear in this field.
           **-u, --print-users**
                  For each command in the accounting file, print the userid
                  and command name.  After printing all entries, quit.
                  *Note*: this flag supersedes all others.
           **-v** _num_ **--threshold** _num_
                  Print commands which were executed _num_ times or fewer and
                  await a reply from the terminal.  If the response begins
                  with `y', add the command to the `**junk**' group.
           **--separate-forks**
                  It really doesn't make any sense to me that the stock
                  version of **sa** separates statistics for a particular
                  executable depending on whether or not that command forked.
                  Therefore, GNU **sa** lumps this information together unless
                  this option is specified.
           **--ahz** _hz_
                  Use this flag to tell the program what **AHZ** should be (in
                  hertz).  This option is useful if you are trying to view an
                  _acct_ file created on another machine which has the same
                  byte order and file format as your current machine, but has
                  a different value for **AHZ.**
           **--debug**
                  Print verbose internal information.
           **-V, --version**
                  Print the version number of **sa.**
           **-h, --help**
                  Prints the usage string and default locations of system
                  files to standard output and exits.
           **--sort-real-time**
                  Sort the output by the "real time" field.
           **--other-usracct-file** _filename_
                  Write summaries by user ID to _filename_ rather than the
                  system's default _usracct_ file.
           **--other-savacct-file** _filename_
                  Write summaries by command name to _filename_ rather than the
                  system's default _SAVACCT_ file.
           **--other-acct-file** _filename_
                  Read from the file _filename_ instead of the system's default
                  _ACCT_ file.
    


## FILES



           _acct_   The raw system wide process accounting file. See acct(5)
                  for further details.
           _savacct_
                  A summary of system process accounting sorted by command.
           _usracct_
                  A summary of system process accounting sorted by user ID.
    


## BUGS



           There is not yet a wide experience base for comparing the output
           of GNU **sa** with versions of **sa** in many other systems.  The problem
           is that the data files grow big in a short time and therefore
           require a lot of disk space.
    


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