VCP-DCV vSphere Performance and Scaling Practice Question
An administrator is analyzing performance data for a vSphere cluster and wants to identify VMs that are experiencing memory pressure. Which two metrics from esxtop or vCenter performance charts reliably indicate that a VM is actively reclaiming memory due to contention? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
VCP-DCV often tests the distinction between demand metrics (consumed, active) and reclamation metrics (ballooned, swapped) — candidates confuse 'high memory usage' with 'memory pressure' and select consumed or active memory incorrectly.
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
✓
Ballooned memory
Ballooned memory (C) is correct because the balloon driver inflates inside the guest only when the ESXi host is under memory pressure and needs to reclaim pages from the VM, so a non-zero balloon value directly signals active reclamation due to contention. Swapped memory (D) is correct because host-level swapping occurs when the hypervisor has exhausted other reclamation options and forcibly moves VM pages to the swap file, which reliably indicates severe memory contention. Consumed memory (A) merely reflects the amount of physical host memory currently mapped to the VM and can be high without any pressure. Active memory (B) measures the recently touched working set and is used for sizing, not for detecting reclamation. Overhead memory (E) is the fixed cost of virtualization resources for the VM and has no bearing on 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.
- ✗
Consumed memory
Why it's wrong here
Consumed memory is the host physical memory currently allocated to the VM, which rises as the guest touches pages and does not itself indicate reclamation. It is used to track allocation growth and overcommit ratios, not contention-driven reclaim.
- ✗
Active memory
Why it's wrong here
Active memory reports the guest working set currently touched, which reflects demand rather than reclamation; a VM can show high active memory with no ballooning or swapping. It is used for right-sizing and capacity planning, not for detecting contention-driven reclaim.
- ✓
Ballooned memory
Why this is correct
Ballooned memory directly evidences the hypervisor reclaiming guest pages through the balloon driver, which only inflates under genuine host memory contention. It therefore satisfies the stem's requirement for a metric proving active reclamation, unlike metrics such as active memory or consumed memory that merely describe usage without confirming pressure-driven reclaim.
- ✓
Swapped memory
Why this is correct
Swapped memory measures pages written to the VM swap file because the hypervisor could not satisfy memory demand from physical RAM, confirming active reclamation under contention. It directly satisfies the stem's requirement for a metric indicating memory pressure, since swapping only occurs when host memory is overcommitted and ballooning proves insufficient.
- ✗
Overhead memory
Why it's wrong here
Overhead memory is the VMkernel cost of virtualising the guest, driven by configured vCPU count and guest OS, and stays static regardless of host memory contention. It is used to size host memory reservations, not to detect active reclaim.
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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
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