Common Questions About the CPU, Memory(RAM) Usage and Bootup Time

Common Questions About the CPU, Memory(RAM) Usage and Bootup Time

Common Questions About the CPU, Memory(RAM) Usage and Bootup Time
Common Questions About the CPU, Memory(RAM) Usage and Bootup Time
3 weeks ago - last edited 2 weeks ago

Background:

 

During product iterations, as functionality increases and system complexity grows, CPU and memory usage often rise. This is a normal result of performance optimization and feature expansion in new versions and does not indicate issues with the system. Understanding these changes is essential for evaluating product performance.

 

This Article Applies to:

 

All TP-Link(Omada) models

 

CPU and RAM Usage

 

First, higher CPU usage does not necessarily indicate a problem with the product. While the new product may be using a more advanced architecture, a "higher architecture" does not mean that CPU usage will decrease. As the architecture improves, the product often runs more complex and resource-intensive functions, which can naturally lead to increased CPU utilization. However, this increase is a normal result of the system fully utilizing the hardware's potential and can actually enhance overall performance.

 


Secondly, a boost in CPU frequency is also not a direct sign of an issue. Even if the CPU frequency temporarily increases, it doesn’t mean the product is behaving abnormally. Modern processors dynamically adjust their frequency based on the current workload to ensure tasks are completed efficiently. It’s only when the CPU runs at an unusually high frequency for an extended period that further investigation is needed. Otherwise, occasional frequency boosts are part of normal processor optimization to improve performance.


Regarding the increase in memory usage, this is also a common and expected occurrence with new products. As the product's functionality expands and becomes more complex, its memory requirements naturally grow. New versions often introduce more features and configurations, which typically require additional memory to support multitasking, improve user experience, and enhance system stability and scalability. Therefore, the increase in memory usage does not indicate an issue but is a normal outcome of product iteration.

Yet, memory usage would usually maintain a level. It does not fluctuate too much unless a series of settings are modified and the changes are enormous. If you see a high memory usage, which is also expected to be normal, it does not indicate a problem or performance issue unless you experience problems with the connectivity.


In conclusion, higher CPU and memory usage reflect the improvement of features and the optimized utilization of hardware resources and generally do not indicate any problems. As long as the system is stable, performing within expected parameters, and resource usage is within reasonable limits, this can be considered the intended performance.

 

If you do experience a constant high CPU usage and it triggers the warning log, you should examine the last change you have made to the system. Most of the high CPU usage problems are caused by the network loop or misconfiguration. We recommend you modify the settings one at a time to monitor if there is an issue and in this way, you can easily debug it yourself.

 

Bootup Time/Speed

 

When your config increases, the bootup time will take longer than the default state. This is totally normal and expected.

1. Configuration Loading: When the router starts up, it reads its configuration file from storage. If the file is large and complex, it takes more time to read and parse. Especially when there are many access control lists (ACLs), routing entries, or NAT (Network Address Translation) rules, the process will be delayed.
2. Service Initialization: Routers often run several network services such as DHCP, NAT, VPN, and firewalls. Each service must be initialized and configured according to the settings. If these services rely on many rules or complex logic (e.g., numerous firewall rules), it can lengthen the startup time.
3. Hardware Detection and Initialization: During startup, the router also detects its hardware components, such as interfaces, processors, and memory. If the device is connected to many external devices or has multiple network interfaces, additional time may be required to detect and initialize these hardware resources.
4. Logs and Debug Information: The device logs a significant amount of information during the startup process. If the log settings are verbose or detailed debugging is enabled, this can also impact the boot time.

 

Update Log:

 

Sep 18th, 2024:

Add and increase the contents.

 

Sep 14th, 2024:

Release of this KB.

 

Recommended Threads:

 

Common Questions About the Hardware Version and Firmware Update

Common Questions About the Load Balancing & Link Backup(Failover)

 

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