Free memory from SAR and free -m command
Sometimes we confuse about is a system have an inadequate memory after look after "sar" and "free" command or not.
Sar description about memory allocation :
Total: how much physical memory the machine has
Used: amount of used (kernel + user + buffers + cache) memory
Free: how much unallocated memory
Shared: how much is shared via shm, mmap, shlibs, etc.
Buffers: how much is preallocated to unused kernel buffers
Cached: how much is preallocated to unsued filesystem buffer cache
free –m description about memory allocation :
Used: amount of system memory that is actually in use. This is the first line 'used' - (buffers + cache)
Free: amount of memory that isn't actually busy. This is the first line 'free' + buffers + cache.
For example :
# free -m
total used free shared buffers cached
Mem: 8007 7989 17 0 120 7053
-/+ buffers/cache: 815 7191
Swap: 8189 0 8189
Used 7989 – (120 + 7053) = 816
Free 17 + 120 + 7053 = 7190