ps is a command from the cli:
Typically I run something like ps -c 4
usage: ps [-l] <pid> ...
ps [-hlps] [-c cutoff]
ps -z
-c cutoff limit output to threads above the cutoff point
-h equivalent to -c 5
-l long listing
-p skip threads which don't have profile information
-s use scheduling time instead of total time
-z clear the times/counts in the proc structure
Another handy command is:
sysstat -M 1
Or statit.
What you are probably seeing is the ANY cpu get up above 90% These three commands should help you zero in on the issue