doc: provide more detail regarding the --status-interval option

There has been some confusion regarding what the --status-interval option provides. Modify the HOWTO and man page to emphasize that --status-interval provides cumulative instead of per-period values.

diff --git a/HOWTO b/HOWTO
index 2a70b7c629b6d6470625ac98e02dad555571f1ed..34386daae2ac2784c031c94f00a5a4cddc884456 100644 (file)
--- a/HOWTO
+++ b/HOWTO
@@ -182,8 +182,10 @@ Command line options
 
 .. option:: --status-interval=time
 
 
 .. option:: --status-interval=time
 

-       Force full status dump every `time` period passed.  When the unit is
-       omitted, the value is interpreted in seconds.
+       Force a full status dump of cumulative (from job start) values at `time`
+       intervals. This option does *not* provide per-period measurements. So
+       values such as bandwidth are running averages. When the time unit is omitted,
+       `time` is interpreted in seconds.

 
 .. option:: --section=name
 
 
 .. option:: --section=name
 

diff --git a/fio.1 b/fio.1
index 97133dacbb846d286c8f2219a7f5178b42cc38f5..091bc1b9e0aa643489c0b1188524974652c589bd 100644 (file)
--- a/fio.1
+++ b/fio.1
@@ -84,8 +84,10 @@ Force a new line for every \fItime\fR period passed. When the unit is omitted,
 the value is interpreted in seconds.
 .TP
 .BI \-\-status\-interval \fR=\fPtime
 the value is interpreted in seconds.
 .TP
 .BI \-\-status\-interval \fR=\fPtime

-Force full status dump every \fItime\fR period passed. When the unit is omitted,
-the value is interpreted in seconds.
+Force a full status dump of cumulative (from job start) values at \fItime\fR
+intervals. This option does *not* provide per-period measurements. So
+values such as bandwidth are running averages. When the time unit is omitted,
+\fItime\fR is interpreted in seconds.

 .TP
 .BI \-\-section \fR=\fPname
 Only run specified section \fIname\fR in job file. Multiple sections can be specified.
 .TP
 .BI \-\-section \fR=\fPname
 Only run specified section \fIname\fR in job file. Multiple sections can be specified.