On CloudLinux servers, cPanel's Resource Usage page shows how much CPU, memory, disk I/O and processes your account has used, and when it hit its limits. It is the first place to look when a site is slow or shows a 508 error.
Before you start
- cPanel access on an MdmHost hosting account (all MdmHost servers run CloudLinux).
Open Resource Usage
- Log in to cPanel.
- Go to cPanel → Metrics → Resource Usage.
- The first screen gives a short verdict: either no problems found, or which limits were reached in the last 24 hours.
- Click Details for graphs, or Snapshot (if shown) for the processes running when a fault happened.
The graphs
| Graph | What it shows | Effect at the limit |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Processor use, where 100% is one core | Site slows down |
| Virtual / Physical Memory | RAM used by your processes | Requests fail with 500/503 |
| Entry Processes | Simultaneous connections to PHP | 508 errors |
| Processes (NPROC) | All processes, including cron and SSH | 508 or failed cron jobs |
| IO / IOPS | Disk read/write speed and operations | Site slows down |
Each graph shows your usage and a line for the limit. Use the period selector (last hour, 24 hours, 7 days, 30 days) to see patterns.
The table and faults
Below the graphs is a table with average and maximum usage per time slot, plus fault columns such as EPf, PMemF, CPUf, IOf. A fault is a moment when the account hit a limit and a request was slowed or refused. Occasional faults during a traffic peak are normal; regular faults every hour are not.
Reading common patterns
- A spike every day at the same time: a cron job or backup plugin. Move it to a quieter time or make it lighter.
- Constant high CPU: uncached pages or a bot. Turn on LiteSpeed Cache and check access logs.
- Entry process faults with low CPU: slow external calls or database queries keep requests open.
- Memory faults during imports: large imports and image processing. Run them in smaller batches.
Tip: If the snapshot shows the same PHP file again and again, such as admin-ajax.php or xmlrpc.php, that file is your starting point.
What to do next
- Fix the cause (caching, bots, heavy plugins). Details are in fixing 508 errors.
- Check your PHP version; newer versions use less CPU (see changing PHP version).
- If the site is simply busy, upgrade your plan. Resellers can adjust limits in CloudLinux Manager (see limits for resellers).
Troubleshooting
Resource Usage is missing from cPanel
The feature may be disabled in your package's feature list. Ask your provider or reseller to enable it.
Graphs are empty
New accounts need a little time to collect data. Usage is sampled every few minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is an LVE?
LVE stands for Lightweight Virtual Environment. CloudLinux puts each cPanel account in its own LVE so its limits can be enforced separately from other accounts.
Does high disk usage show here?
No. Disk space is a quota, shown in cPanel's Statistics sidebar and Disk Usage tool. IO in Resource Usage is about speed, not space.
Can I get email alerts for faults?
CloudLinux can send fault notifications if enabled by the server administrator or your reseller. Ask support if you want them.