MetadataServer.sh script's output meaning for Real and CPU times

[PriitL]

Hi!

Probably everybody knows there's a script called MetadataServer.sh to manage Metadata Server. With an extra argument "status" it outputs current status of the Metadata server. My question is, what does those values in the ending mean.

For example:

NOTE: Server <hostname> is RUNNING on 20Jul2022:09:42:54.


NOTE: PROCEDURE METAOPERATE used (Total process time):
      real time           0.02 seconds
      cpu time            0.01 seconds


NOTE: SAS Institute Inc., SAS Campus Drive, Cary, NC USA 27513-2414
NOTE: The SAS System used:
      real time           0.04 seconds
      cpu time            0.03 seconds

So there are status for "procedure metaoperate" real and cpu times and also for "SAS System". What are these, what's the difference?

What could effect those values? What are the difference between "real" and "cpu" times?

Smaller the better it's clear, but is there any document describing the values meaning or maybe someone can explain it in simple language? I tried to find some thread from the community but didn't find anything.

Thanks! 

PL

[Kurt_Bremser · Accepted solution]

CPU time is the time where the processor(s) processed your code. Real time is the time that went by "on the outside". The difference is caused by the processor(s) waiting for input/output or other processes getting use of the CPU.

With multiple processors and multithreading, CPU time can be greater than the real time.

[Kurt_Bremser]

And the difference between the time of the procedure and the "SAS system time" is the time SAS needs for startup and processing initialization code.