6.0.1
Table Of Contents
- vSphere Resource Management
- Contents
- About vSphere Resource Management
- Updated Information
- Getting Started with Resource Management
- Configuring Resource Allocation Settings
- CPU Virtualization Basics
- Administering CPU Resources
- Memory Virtualization Basics
- Administering Memory Resources
- View Graphics Information
- Managing Storage I/O Resources
- Managing Resource Pools
- Creating a DRS Cluster
- Using DRS Clusters to Manage Resources
- Creating a Datastore Cluster
- Initial Placement and Ongoing Balancing
- Storage Migration Recommendations
- Create a Datastore Cluster
- Enable and Disable Storage DRS
- Set the Automation Level for Datastore Clusters
- Setting the Aggressiveness Level for Storage DRS
- Datastore Cluster Requirements
- Adding and Removing Datastores from a Datastore Cluster
- Using Datastore Clusters to Manage Storage Resources
- Using NUMA Systems with ESXi
- Advanced Attributes
- Fault Definitions
- Virtual Machine is Pinned
- Virtual Machine not Compatible with any Host
- VM/VM DRS Rule Violated when Moving to another Host
- Host Incompatible with Virtual Machine
- Host has Virtual Machine that Violates VM/VM DRS Rules
- Host has Insufficient Capacity for Virtual Machine
- Host in Incorrect State
- Host has Insufficient Number of Physical CPUs for Virtual Machine
- Host has Insufficient Capacity for Each Virtual Machine CPU
- The Virtual Machine is in vMotion
- No Active Host in Cluster
- Insufficient Resources
- Insufficient Resources to Satisfy Configured Failover Level for HA
- No Compatible Hard Affinity Host
- No Compatible Soft Affinity Host
- Soft Rule Violation Correction Disallowed
- Soft Rule Violation Correction Impact
- DRS Troubleshooting Information
- Cluster Problems
- Load Imbalance on Cluster
- Cluster is Yellow
- Cluster is Red Because of Inconsistent Resource Pool
- Cluster is Red Because Failover Capacity is Violated
- No Hosts are Powered Off When Total Cluster Load is Low
- Hosts are Powered Off When Total Cluster Load is High
- DRS Seldom or Never Performs vMotion Migrations
- Host Problems
- DRS Recommends Host be Powered On to Increase Capacity When Total Cluster Load Is Low
- Total Cluster Load Is High
- Total Cluster Load Is Low
- DRS Does Not Evacuate a Host Requested to Enter Maintenance or Standby Mode
- DRS Does Not Move Any Virtual Machines onto a Host
- DRS Does Not Move Any Virtual Machines from a Host
- Virtual Machine Problems
- Cluster Problems
- Index
Memory Balloon Driver
The memory balloon driver (vmmemctl) collaborates with the server to reclaim pages that are considered least
valuable by the guest operating system.
The driver uses a proprietary ballooning technique that provides predictable performance that closely
matches the behavior of a native system under similar memory constraints. This technique increases or
decreases memory pressure on the guest operating system, causing the guest to use its own native memory
management algorithms. When memory is tight, the guest operating system determines which pages to
reclaim and, if necessary, swaps them to its own virtual disk.
Figure 6‑1. Memory Ballooning in the Guest Operating System
1
2
3
memory
memory
memory
swap space
swap space
NOTE You must configure the guest operating system with sufficient swap space. Some guest operating
systems have additional limitations.
If necessary, you can limit the amount of memory vmmemctl reclaims by setting the sched.mem.maxmemctl
parameter for a specific virtual machine. This option specifies the maximum amount of memory that can be
reclaimed from a virtual machine in megabytes (MB). See “Set Advanced Virtual Machine Attributes,” on
page 118.
Using Swap Files
You can specify the location of your guest swap file, reserve swap space when memory is overcommitted,
and delete a swap file.
ESXi hosts use swapping to forcibly reclaim memory from a virtual machine when the vmmemctl driver is not
available or is not responsive.
n
It was never installed.
n
It is explicitly disabled.
n
It is not running (for example, while the guest operating system is booting).
n
It is temporarily unable to reclaim memory quickly enough to satisfy current system demands.
vSphere Resource Management
38 VMware, Inc.