VMware Certified Professional - Data Center Virtualization (VCP-DCV) Practice Exam

What should be done if a Windows virtual machine is using 95% CPU in Task Manager?

1. Increase the memory reservation of the virtual machine.

2. Increase the CPU shares on the resource pool where the virtual machine resides.

3. Decrease the CPU reservation of the virtual machine.

4. Increase the CPU limit on the resource pool where the virtual machine resides.

The correct answer is: Increase the CPU shares on the resource pool where the virtual machine resides.

When a Windows virtual machine is utilizing 95% CPU in Task Manager, this situation often indicates that the virtual machine is under heavy load and may require more resources to perform optimally. Adjusting the CPU shares within the resource pool where the virtual machine resides is a strategic move because it directly impacts the allocation of CPU resources in a sharing environment. Increasing the CPU shares gives this specific virtual machine priority over others during contention for CPU resources, ensuring that even if other VMs are also demanding CPU time, this one would receive a larger portion of the CPU cycles. This action can improve the performance of the virtual machine, allowing it to better handle the workload it’s encountering. In contrast, adjusting memory reservation, CPU limits, or decreasing CPU reservations may not address the immediate CPU contention issue. Increasing memory reservation would not resolve CPU usage problems, as they are unrelated to memory resources. Decreasing CPU reservations would limit the available CPU resources for the virtual machine, likely exacerbating performance issues. Similarly, increasing CPU limits on the resource pool is often counterproductive, as it does not provide immediate benefits in situations of contention and may not effectively resolve resource scarcity. Thus, increasing the CPU shares allows for better management and allocation of CPU resources amidst high demand,