Pulse

This tool monitors disk IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second) and displays the top I/O-consuming processes and files on your system.

Usage

Run the script with Python:

python pulse.py [options]

Or use the compiled executable:

pulse.exe [options]

Options

• -n, --num-processes: Number of top processes and files to display (default: 5)
• -t, --refresh-time: Refresh time in seconds (default: 1.0)
• -f, --file-update-multiplier: Multiplier for file info update interval (default: 3)
• -l, --log-prefix: Prefix for log files (default: disk_io)

Example:

pulse.exe -n 10 -t 2 -f 5 -l my_log

This will display the top 10 I/O processes and files, refresh every 2 seconds, update file information every 10 seconds (2 * 5), and create log files with the prefix 'my_log'.

Building to Executable

To compile the script into a standalone executable:

1. Install PyInstaller: pip install pyinstaller

2. Navigate to the directory containing pulse.py

3. Run PyInstaller: py -m PyInstaller --onefile pulse.py

4. Find the executable in the dist folder

Features

• Monitors IOPS for all physical drives
• Displays top I/O-consuming processes
• Shows top I/O-intensive files (updated less frequently to improve performance)
• Real-time updates with customizable refresh rates
• Logs IOPS, process, and file I/O data to separate CSV files for further analysis

Requirements

• Python 3.6+
• psutil library

To install psutil:

pip install psutil

Note

Running the executable or script may require administrator privileges to access all system information. The file I/O information is gathered less frequently than process information to reduce system load.

Log File Formats

The script creates three separate log files:

1. IOPS log file ({prefix}_iops.csv): Time,Drive,Read IOPS,Write IOPS,Max Read IOPS,Max Write IOPS

2. Process log file ({prefix}_processes.csv): Time,PID,Process,Total I/O (MB),Read I/O (MB),Write I/O (MB)

3. File log file ({prefix}_files.csv): Time,File Path,Read I/O (MB),Write I/O (MB)

These CSV formats allow for easy import into spreadsheet software for further analysis.