Question 64 of 527
LPIC-1 System Architecture Practice Question
A Linux system administrator is tasked with setting up a new server that will host multiple virtual machines using KVM. The server has 64 GB of RAM and two physical CPUs, each with 8 cores (16 threads). The administrator needs to allocate resources efficiently. The VMs will have varying workloads. The administrator wants to ensure that the host system has enough resources for itself and that VMs can use all available CPU cores. Which approach should the administrator take to configure CPU allocation for the host and VMs?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to assume overcommitting CPU resources is always safe (Option D) or that QEMU emulation is a performance improvement (Option A), when in fact KVM's hardware acceleration and proper pinning are critical for efficient virtualization.
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
✓
Use CPU pinning to reserve two physical cores for the host and distribute the remaining cores among VMs using host-passthrough mode.
It reserves two physical cores for the host system to ensure its stability and performance, while distributing the remaining cores among VMs using CPU pinning and host-passthrough mode. This approach allows VMs to access the full CPU feature set and all available cores efficiently, balancing host overhead with VM resource needs in a KVM environment.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use QEMU emulation instead of KVM to reduce CPU overhead.
Why it's wrong here
QEMU emulation is slower than KVM; not recommended for performance.
- ✗
Pin all physical CPU cores to the VMs using virsh vcpupin, and leave no cores for the host.
Why it's wrong here
The host also needs CPU cycles; pinning all cores to VMs starves the host.
- ✓
Use CPU pinning to reserve two physical cores for the host and distribute the remaining cores among VMs using host-passthrough mode.
Why this is correct
This ensures host responsiveness and allows VMs to use all available CPU features.
- ✗
Overcommit CPU resources by assigning 32 vCPUs to each VM, relying on the hypervisor to schedule.
Why it's wrong here
Overcommitting can lead to CPU contention and performance degradation.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This LPIC-1 practice question is part of Courseiva's free LPI 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 LPIC-1 exam.
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