Step-by-Step Explanation of Ballooning, Compression & Swapping in VMware

Difference between esxtop and resxtop

http://www.yellow-bricks.com/esxtop/

http://www.vreference.com/public/vReference-esxtop1.2.pdf

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1008205

http://www.vmwarearena.com/2012/08/esxtop-replay-mode.html

5 of the best posts for analysing results and statistics

http://www.yellow-bricks.com/esxtop/

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-9279

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/esx2_using_esxtop.pdf

http://simongreaves.co.uk/blog/esxtop-guide

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-5240

Analysing CPU/RAM/Network/Performance

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-3930

esxtop and resxtop are both performance monitoring tools for VMware environments, but their primary difference lies in how they are accessed. esxtop is run directly on the ESXi host's command line, while resxtop is a remote version, typically used through the vSphere Management Assistant (vMA) or vCLI, allowing monitoring from a remote system. 

Detailed Explanation:

esxtop:

Runs directly on the ESXi host's command line (ESXi Shell). 

Requires direct access to the ESXi host's console. 

May not be accessible in all environments, especially where direct SSH access to ESXi hosts is disabled. 

resxtop:

A remote version of esxtop. 

Typically used through the vSphere Management Assistant (vMA) or vCLI. 

Provides a more secure way to monitor ESXi hosts remotely. 

Can be used when direct access to the ESXi host's command line is restricted or not available. 

Requires installation of vMA or vCLI. 

Functionality:

Both esxtop and resxtop display the same performance metrics for CPU, memory, network, disk, and power management. 

They offer similar interactive commands to navigate and filter the displayed data. 

They can be used to troubleshoot performance issues by identifying bottlenecks in the system. 

In essence, resxtop provides the same functionality as esxtop but allows for remote access, making it a more convenient and often preferred option for monitoring ESXi hosts, especially in production environments where direct access is limited or restricted.