DRS Migration Threshold: How to Reduce CPU Ready Time
A vSphere cluster with DRS enabled is experiencing an imbalance in resource utilization across hosts. DRS is set to 'Manual' mode. What action should the administrator take to resolve the imbalance?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is assuming that changing DRS mode automatically resolves the current imbalance; the exam tests that Manual mode requires manual vMotion execution, and mode changes only affect future recommendations.
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
✓
Manually migrate VMs using vMotion.
In DRS Manual mode, vSphere generates migration recommendations but does not execute them automatically. The administrator must manually apply the recommended vMotion migrations to rebalance the cluster. Changing to Fully Automated would automate future balancing but does not immediately resolve the current imbalance without manual intervention.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Change DRS to 'Fully Automated' mode.
Why it's wrong here
Switching to Fully Automated lets DRS apply its own migrations, but the stem asks what the administrator should do to resolve the imbalance, and the immediate remedy is to apply the pending recommendations manually; automation also removes the approval step the current mode deliberately retains. Fully Automated suits clusters where unattended balancing is acceptable.
- ✓
Manually migrate VMs using vMotion.
Why this is correct
Manual mode means DRS generates migration recommendations but applies none automatically. The administrator must therefore review the suggested moves and invoke vMotion to relocate VMs, correcting the imbalance. Switching to fully automated mode would change policy rather than resolve it directly.
- ✗
Enable HA admission control.
Why it's wrong here
HA admission control reserves capacity for host failures; it neither balances load nor applies DRS recommendations. It is tempting because both features live in cluster settings and admission control affects placement, and it would be correct when guaranteeing failover capacity, but the stem asks how to resolve an existing utilisation imbalance under Manual DRS.
- ✗
Increase the DRS migration threshold.
Why it's wrong here
The migration threshold governs how aggressively automated DRS moves workloads; in Manual mode DRS generates recommendations but never applies them, so raising the threshold changes nothing. It is tempting because threshold tuning is the correct fix for sluggish automated balancing, but the stem's imbalance stems from the mode, not the aggressiveness setting.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official VMware exam blueprint
This VCP-DCV practice question is part of Courseiva's free VMware 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 VCP-DCV exam.