Description: The overcommit ratio is a metric used in memory management across various operating systems that refers to the relationship between the memory allocated to applications and the physically available memory in the system. This concept is crucial in virtualized environments, where multiple virtual machines may be running on a single physical server. Overcommitment allows more memory to be allocated to virtual machines than is actually available, based on the assumption that not all virtual machines will use their allocated memory at the same time. This approach can increase resource utilization efficiency but also carries risks, such as the possibility of the system running out of physical memory, which could lead to degraded performance or the need for swap operations. The overcommit ratio is commonly expressed as a ratio, for example, 4:1, indicating that four times more virtual memory has been allocated than the available physical memory. This metric is essential for system administrators as it helps them evaluate the effectiveness of their memory management strategies and make informed decisions about resource allocation in high-density virtual machine environments.
