# Doc bug for system.cpu.user.pct (and other pct)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Beats\ **Created:** [September 26, 2019, 7:00pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/doc-bug-for-system-cpu-user-pct-and-other-pct/201301 "2019-09-26T19:00:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![suryaj](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/suryaj/32/48680_2.png) [@suryaj](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/suryaj)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2019, 7:00pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/doc-bug-for-system-cpu-user-pct-and-other-pct/201301/1 "2019-09-26T19:00:36Z")
I got thrown off by the documentation here for system.cpu.user.pct. > **[System fields | Metricbeat Reference \[8.11\] | Elastic](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/beats/metricbeat/current/exported-fields-system.html#_cpu_8)** > The percentage of CPU time spent in user space. On multi-core systems, you can have percentages that are greater than 100%. For example, if 3 cores are at 60% use, then the `system.cpu.user.pct` will be 180%. It seems to indicate the value is in percent. Looking at the [code](https://github.com/elastic/beats/blob/dd5938ed03d73c7578e91e42216b8fa948a63ecc/libbeat/metric/system/cpu/cpu.go#L114) though, it is clear that it is a decimal value and not a percent. If we agree this is a doc bug, I am happy to submit a PR if someone can point me to the process for that. ---
**Author:** ![stephenb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/stephenb/32/40856_2.png) [@stephenb](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/stephenb)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2019, 8:45pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/doc-bug-for-system-cpu-user-pct-and-other-pct/201301/2 "2019-09-26T20:45:16Z")
Hi @suryaj welcome to the forum, and thanks for the close look. I believe both the code and the docs are correct... A percent is a float number that is a ratio of the part divided by the total possible. When that total percent 100% is represented as a float number between 0.0 and 1.0 When the total Percent is 300% is represented as a number between 0.0 and 3.0. So 80% is equal to .80 when represented as a float. If you were to represent that value as 80.0 that would really be 8000% You can see this if you look at the source document and then look at the same document in discover. Example Source from Dev Tools ``` GET /metricbeat-7.3.1/_doc/OwZAb20BjKA62DgGHqIA { "_index" : "metricbeat-7.3.1-2019.09.18-000001", "_type" : "_doc", "_id" : "OwZAb20BjKA62DgGHqIA", "_version" : 1, "_seq_no" : 258823, "_primary_term" : 1, "found" : true, "_source" : { "@timestamp" : "2019-09-26T20:25:34.959Z", "service" : { "type" : "system" }, "system" : { "process" : { "cmdline" : "/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome", "state" : "running", "cpu" : { "start_time" : "2019-09-20T15:14:53.688Z", "total" : { "pct" : 0.0852, "norm" : { "pct" : 0.0107 }, "value" : 1.3449285E7 } }, "memory" : { "rss" : { "bytes" : 391880704, "pct" : 0.0228 }, "share" : 0, "size" : 6627667968 } } }, ``` ....... } In discover, the Discover tab recognizes that they data type is a percent and thus makes it easier ![21%20PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/e/3/e3512f3cf03f1c963f3bfd412b91fc5e8e39b9cd.png) You can even change you that is presented in the Settings -\> Advanced Settings ![50%20PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/e/c/ec956200c990106f19709fce136eee70aa4282dd.png) ---
**Author:** ![suryaj](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/suryaj/32/48680_2.png) [@suryaj](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/suryaj)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2019, 11:03pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/doc-bug-for-system-cpu-user-pct-and-other-pct/201301/3 "2019-09-26T23:03:38Z")
Hi Stephen, appreciate your quick comment. > A percent is a float number that is a ratio of the part divided by the total possible. I am not sure where you are applying that definition from. Percent is a number that is expressed as a fraction of 100. What you are referring to above is what is generally called ratio. If the ratio is 0.5, the equivalent percent is 50%; similarly if the ratio is 0.05, the equivalent percent is 5%. > When the total Percent is 300% is represented as a number between 0.0 and 3.0. Are you saying this is how percentage values are represented in Elastic? This is in direct contrast to how it is referred in the doc I referred in the start of the thread, specifically this part: > For example, if 3 cores are at 60% use, then the `system.cpu.user.pct` will be 180%. Based on what you are saying (and what I am seeing in code), this should perhaps say "For example, if 3 cores are at 60% use, then the `system.cpu.user.pct` will be 1.8." This will make it consistent with the default experience that a user sees when they try to visualize the `system.cpu.user.pct` metric. ---
**Author:** ![stephenb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/stephenb/32/40856_2.png) [@stephenb](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/stephenb)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2019, 12:53am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/doc-bug-for-system-cpu-user-pct-and-other-pct/201301/4 "2019-09-27T00:53:39Z")
Hi @suryaj Thanks for the reply and apologies for any confusion... I guess what I am saying is that I see no discrepancy between the document, the data stored in elastic or how it is represented in Kibana. `1.8` and `180%` represent the same value and when speaking or documenting a percent. In general people write or display `180%` rather than `1.8` but when doing math or storing the data it is `1.8` If you look at the raw data in Elasticsearch as I showed about you will see the `type: scaled_float 1.8` and when you look in Kibana it will recognized the `format: percent` and you will see 180% So it make sense to me, but feel to write up an issue if you feel strongly about it. ---
**Author:** ![suryaj](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/suryaj/32/48680_2.png) [@suryaj](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/suryaj)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2019, 11:08pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/doc-bug-for-system-cpu-user-pct-and-other-pct/201301/5 "2019-09-27T23:08:32Z")
Here is the default experience: ![VisualizeMetric](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/0/e/0e74bae4249dd6a79e4e8d3e49f8636eafbd6777.png) In this case the value stored and displayed are both 0.119 and I am not seeing what you are stating here: > when you look in Kibana it will recognized the `format: percent` and you will see 180% What am I missing? Our Kibana version is: 6.3.1 in case that has anything to do with this. ---
**Author:** ![stephenb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/stephenb/32/40856_2.png) [@stephenb](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/stephenb)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2019, 12:28am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/doc-bug-for-system-cpu-user-pct-and-other-pct/201301/6 "2019-09-28T00:28:18Z")
Hi @suryaj I stood up a 6.3.1 cluster here is what I see Raw : Note the Float Representation `1.2058` ![12%20PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/c/d/cd9cfa7b3bd0e4986f4ade9e5d01cb687d59972b.png) In Discover : Note the Percent Representation `120.58%` ![19%20PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/4/a/4a2ea78d0a59a62a392904264ca2862dcbcf4be1.png) In the Data Table: Note the Percent Format ![38%20PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/c/d/cd1a9772072abbdcf1331e750ba74b4bb5dc1af0.png) What I think may have happened is that the the `format:percent:defaultPattern` is not properly set the default is `0,0.[000]%` this is what is should look like under Management -\> Advanced Settings. ![07%20PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/6/1621459166b62059176a3854af64876bb2208f87.png) Take a look and see what you see... ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2019, 2:28am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/doc-bug-for-system-cpu-user-pct-and-other-pct/201301/7 "2019-10-26T02:28:20Z")
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