title: Interpreting Linux time command result for a multi-threaded program (%CPU > 100)
body: <p>I want to benchmark BLAST running time on my server so I started the <code>time</code> command. 
  The server has 16 CPUs and I was running the BLAST 16 threaded. There may have been other applications running in parallel while my analysis was taking place.</p>
  
  <p>The output is following:</p>
  
  <pre><code>184255.45user 458.23system 6:37:54elapsed 773%CPU (0avgtext+0avgdata 83504272maxresident)k
  294680inputs+10029344outputs (1799major+149694417minor)pagefaults 0swaps
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Interpreting user time as the amount of seconds CPU spent running my application I get more than the total time.  I have seen people tell that I should divide the time with %CPU, but then I get just 3 minutes, and that is unrealistic for BLAST and input of the size I put into it.</p>
  
  <p>The information I need is the user time, but I am not sure how to interpret it.</p>
  
  <p>Any suggestions on the interpretation of the result?</p>