top can be run non-interactively, in batch mode. Time delay and the number of iterations can be configured, giving you the ability to dictate the data collection as you see fit.
Here’s an example:
top -b -d 10 -n 3 >> top-file
We have top running in batch mode (-b). It’s going to refresh every 10 seconds, as specified by the delay (-d) flag, for a total count of 3 iterations (-n). The output will be sent to a file.
