- A
Create a resource pool for database VMs and set a higher CPU share value.
Why wrong: Shares only affect relative entitlement on a single host; they do not trigger migrations to balance load across hosts.
- B
Increase the DRS migration threshold from 3 to 5 to reduce unnecessary migrations.
Why wrong: A higher threshold makes DRS less proactive, allowing imbalances to persist and worsening ready time.
- C
Enable 'VM Monitoring' in the HA cluster settings.
Why wrong: VM Monitoring restarts unresponsive VMs but does not balance CPU load.
- D
Decrease the DRS migration threshold from 3 to 1 to make it more aggressive.
A lower threshold triggers migrations even for minor load imbalances, helping to spread VMs and reduce ready time on hot hosts.
Question 193 of 521
DRS Migration Threshold: How to Reduce CPU Ready Time
This VCP-DCV practice question tests your understanding of vsphere performance and scaling. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A large e-commerce company has a vSphere cluster with 16 hosts, each with 2 sockets of 10 cores (HT enabled) and 512 GB RAM. They run a mix of web and database VMs. During the holiday season, some VMs experience high CPU ready time, especially the database VMs. DRS is set to Fully Automated and migration thresholds are at default. The administrator notices that the cluster's CPU utilization averages at 60%, but some hosts are at 90% while others are at 30%. The VMs with high ready time are all on the highly utilized hosts. To resolve this, the administrator considers several options. Which action will most effectively balance CPU load and reduce ready time for the database 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
✓
Decrease the DRS migration threshold from 3 to 1 to make it more aggressive.
The correct answer is D. Decreasing the DRS migration threshold from 3 to 1 makes DRS more aggressive, triggering migrations even for small imbalances. This will redistribute VMs from highly utilized hosts to underutilized hosts, reducing CPU ready time for database VMs. Option A (resource pool with higher shares) does not cause migrations; it only prioritizes CPU allocation during contention on the same host. Option B (increasing threshold to 5) makes DRS less aggressive, worsening the imbalance. Option C (VM Monitoring) is an HA feature for fault detection, not load balancing.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create a resource pool for database VMs and set a higher CPU share value.
Why it's wrong here
Shares only affect relative entitlement on a single host; they do not trigger migrations to balance load across hosts.
- ✗
Increase the DRS migration threshold from 3 to 5 to reduce unnecessary migrations.
Why it's wrong here
A higher threshold makes DRS less proactive, allowing imbalances to persist and worsening ready time.
- ✗
Enable 'VM Monitoring' in the HA cluster settings.
Why it's wrong here
VM Monitoring restarts unresponsive VMs but does not balance CPU load.
- ✓
Decrease the DRS migration threshold from 3 to 1 to make it more aggressive.
Why this is correct
A lower threshold triggers migrations even for minor load imbalances, helping to spread VMs and reduce ready time on hot hosts.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the VCP-DCV exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Visual reference
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which VCP-DCV exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this VCP-DCV question test?
vSphere Performance and Scaling — This question tests vSphere Performance and Scaling — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Decrease the DRS migration threshold from 3 to 1 to make it more aggressive. — The correct answer is D. Decreasing the DRS migration threshold from 3 to 1 makes DRS more aggressive, triggering migrations even for small imbalances. This will redistribute VMs from highly utilized hosts to underutilized hosts, reducing CPU ready time for database VMs. Option A (resource pool with higher shares) does not cause migrations; it only prioritizes CPU allocation during contention on the same host. Option B (increasing threshold to 5) makes DRS less aggressive, worsening the imbalance. Option C (VM Monitoring) is an HA feature for fault detection, not load balancing.
What should I do if I get this VCP-DCV question wrong?
Identify which VCP-DCV exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on VCP-DCV
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A vSphere cluster with 3 ESXi hosts (each with 2 sockets, 8 cores per socket, hyperthreading enabled, and 256 GB RAM) runs a set of web server VMs. The cluster is configured with DRS enabled and a migration threshold of 3 (conservative). The administrator notices that one host has consistently high CPU ready time (average 15%) while the other two hosts have ready time below 2%. The host with high ready time has 10 VMs, while the others have 6 each. CPU utilization on the busy host is 80%, while on the other hosts it is 40%. What should the administrator do to improve the situation with minimal disruption?
easy- A.Disable Hyper-Threading on all hosts to reduce vCPU contention.
- B.Manually migrate some VMs from the overloaded host to the other hosts using vMotion.
- C.Add a fourth host to the cluster.
- ✓ D.Increase the DRS migration threshold to a more aggressive value (e.g., 4 or 5).
Why D: The cluster is unbalanced because DRS is not migrating VMs aggressively enough. Increasing the DRS migration threshold to a more aggressive level will allow DRS to move VMs from the overloaded host to the underutilized hosts. Option D is the best immediate step. Option A would increase overhead and is not best practice. Option B would be effective but requires manual intervention and may not be the simplest. Option C would add capacity but is a longer-term solution.
Variation 2. 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?
easy- A.Change DRS to 'Fully Automated' mode.
- ✓ B.Manually migrate VMs using vMotion.
- C.Enable HA admission control.
- D.Increase the DRS migration threshold.
Why B: In Manual mode, DRS only provides recommendations; the administrator must manually migrate VMs using vMotion. Option B is correct. Option A would automate future migrations but does not resolve current imbalance. Option C changes threshold but won't act immediately. Option D is unrelated.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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