# \[SOLVED\]Count the number of running process with Telegraf
**URL:** https://community.influxdata.com/t/solved-count-the-number-of-running-process-with-telegraf/3972
**Category:** Telegraf
**Tags:** telegraf
**Created:** [February 12, 2018, 9:15am UTC](https://community.influxdata.com/t/solved-count-the-number-of-running-process-with-telegraf/3972 "2018-02-12T09:15:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Bugsyaya](https://community.influxdata.com/u/Bugsyaya)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2018, 9:15am UTC](https://community.influxdata.com/t/solved-count-the-number-of-running-process-with-telegraf/3972/1 "2018-02-12T09:15:17Z")
Hey,
I’m using telegraf, influxdb and grafana to make a monitoring system for a distributed application. The first thing I want to do is to count the number of java process running on a machine.
But when I make my request, the result are egal to the correct process number or the correct process number + 1.
I’m running centos 7 and Telegraf v1.5.0 (git: release-1.5 a1668bbf)
All Java process I want to count :
> ```
> [root@localhost ~]# pgrep -f java
> 10665
> 10688
> 10725
> 10730
> 11104
> 11174
> 16298
> 22138
>
> ```
My telegraf.conf :
> [global\_tags]
>
> # Configuration for telegraf agent
>
> [agent]
> interval = “5s”
> round\_interval = true
> metric\_batch\_size = 1000
> metric\_buffer\_limit = 10000
> collection\_jitter = “0s”
> flush\_interval = “10s”
> flush\_jitter = “0s”
> precision = “”
> debug = true
> quiet = false
> logfile = “/var/log/telegraf/telegraf.log”
> hostname = “my\_server”
> omit\_hostname = false
My input.conf :
> # Read metrics about disk usagee
>
> [[inputs.disk]]
> fielddrop = [“inodes\*”]
> mount\_points=[“/”, “/workspace”]
>
> # File
>
> [[inputs.filestat]]
> files = [“myfile.log”]
> [[inputs.exec]]
>
> ## Commands array
>
> commands = [“/etc/telegraf/telegraf.d/customScript.sh”]
> name\_override = “java\_process”
> data\_format = “value”
My /etc/telegraf/telegraf.d/customScript.sh :
> #!/bin/bash
> ps -aux | grep java | wc -l
I think the problem comes to `grep` but I don’t know how resolve this. I tried to use `pgrep -f -c java` but the result are same.
---
### Author:  [@noahcrowley](https://community.influxdata.com/u/noahcrowley)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2018, 2:57pm UTC](https://community.influxdata.com/t/solved-count-the-number-of-running-process-with-telegraf/3972/2 "2018-02-12T14:57:23Z")
When using `grep` with the output of `ps`, one of the matches will be the `grep` process itself.
For example, I am running two python processes on my machine. Here’s what happens when I pipe `ps` to `grep`:
```bash
$ ps -aux | grep python
vagrant 1480 0.0 0.6 31348 6408 pts/1 S+ 14:39 0:00 python
vagrant 1512 0.0 0.6 31348 6416 pts/3 S+ 14:40 0:00 python
vagrant 1515 0.0 0.0 14224 932 pts/2 S+ 14:40 0:00 grep --color=auto python
```
There are three lines: the two python processes, and the `grep` process and its arguments. Because of this, you can’t count the number of lines to determine the number of processes.
Using `pgrep` with the `-c` argument should work. If I test with my machine running two python processes this is the result:
```bash
$ pgrep -c python
2
```
---
### Author:  [@Bugsyaya](https://community.influxdata.com/u/Bugsyaya)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2018, 3:05pm UTC](https://community.influxdata.com/t/solved-count-the-number-of-running-process-with-telegraf/3972/3 "2018-02-12T15:05:00Z")
Yes, I see what did you explain. But I have tried to use `pgrep -f -c java` and the result are the same (some time 8, some time 9). Whether I use `ps -aux | grep java | wc -l` or `pgrep -f -c java`, the result are the same. However, in the first case, the result should always be 9 and in the second case always 8. Except it’s not the case and i don’t understand why.
---
### Author:  [@noahcrowley](https://community.influxdata.com/u/noahcrowley)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2018, 3:20pm UTC](https://community.influxdata.com/t/solved-count-the-number-of-running-process-with-telegraf/3972/4 "2018-02-12T15:20:03Z")
The `-f` argument in `pgrep -f -c` matches the full command line. It’s possible that you are matching something other than a java process.
Can you try using `pgrep -c` instead?
---
### Author:  [@Bugsyaya](https://community.influxdata.com/u/Bugsyaya)
#### Post date: [February 12, 2018, 3:30pm UTC](https://community.influxdata.com/t/solved-count-the-number-of-running-process-with-telegraf/3972/5 "2018-02-12T15:30:03Z")
Sorry, I didn’t see you didn’t put the -f argument. Looks like it works! Thank you very much !