Question 53 of 144
SK0-005 server-administration Practice Question
A VMware ESXi host runs six virtual machines, each configured with 8GB of RAM, totaling 48GB allocated. The host physically has 32GB of RAM, and memory overcommitment is enabled. Recently, a critical VM experienced severe performance degradation during peak hours, with the guest OS showing high memory pressure and balloon driver activity, while other VMs showed moderate usage. Which of the following actions will BEST resolve the issue without compromising other VMs?
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
✓
Configure a memory reservation of 8GB for the critical VM.
Option B (Set a memory reservation equal to its configured 8GB on the critical VM) is correct because it guarantees physical RAM for that VM, preventing the balloon driver from reclaiming its memory and reducing hypervisor swapping. Option A (Increase host RAM) would solve it broadly but is not the most immediate, targeted action and may not be feasible. Option C (Disable balloon driver on all VMs) could cause host swapping, degrading all VMs. Option D (Reduce CPU limits) does not address memory contention.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Purchase and install an additional 32GB of physical RAM in the host.
Why it's wrong here
Adding RAM is a long-term solution but may not be immediate; also, it's not the most targeted fix since only one VM is critical.
- ✗
Disable the VMware balloon driver on all virtual machines.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling ballooning forces the hypervisor to rely on host-level swapping, which degrades performance for all VMs when memory is overcommitted.
- ✓
Configure a memory reservation of 8GB for the critical VM.
Why this is correct
A reservation grants the VM guaranteed access to physical RAM, protecting it from ballooning and hypervisor swapping, thus stabilizing performance.
- ✗
Reduce the CPU limit on the non-critical VMs during peak hours.
Why it's wrong here
Adjusting CPU limits does nothing to alleviate memory contention, which is the root cause of the performance issue.
Visual reference
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Last reviewed: Jul 26, 2026
This SK0-005 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 SK0-005 exam.
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