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350-401 Practice Question: Which three statements about virtual machine (VM)…
Which three statements about virtual machine (VM) resource allocation and overcommitment are true? (Choose three.)
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
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Memory overcommitment allows a hypervisor to run VMs with total allocated memory exceeding physical RAM.
Resource overcommitment allows a hypervisor to allocate more virtual resources than physical resources, but careful monitoring is required to avoid performance issues. Option A is correct because memory overcommitment uses techniques like ballooning or swapping. Option B is correct because CPU overcommitment can lead to contention if many VMs compete for CPU time. Option D is correct because storage overcommitment can cause performance degradation if thin provisioning leads to oversubscription. Option C is incorrect because overcommitment does not guarantee isolation; it can actually reduce isolation. Option E is incorrect because overcommitment is not limited to memory; it applies to CPU and storage as well.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Memory overcommitment allows a hypervisor to run VMs with total allocated memory exceeding physical RAM.
Why this is correct
Correct because hypervisors use techniques like ballooning to reclaim memory from idle VMs.
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CPU overcommitment can lead to performance degradation if the physical CPU cores are insufficient for the workload.
Why this is correct
Correct because excessive vCPU-to-pCPU ratios can cause CPU contention and degrade performance.
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Overcommitment guarantees that each VM receives its allocated resources without interference.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because overcommitment can lead to resource contention and interference between VMs.
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Storage overcommitment using thin provisioning can cause performance issues if the underlying storage runs out of space.
Why this is correct
Correct because thin provisioning allows over-allocation, but running out of physical storage can impact all VMs.
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Resource overcommitment is only applicable to memory, not CPU or storage.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because overcommitment can apply to CPU, memory, and storage.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 350-401 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 350-401 exam.