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Extreme Memory Oversubscription For VMs

Posted by Soulskill on from the eXtreme-virtualization dept.

Laxitive writes "Virtualization systems currently have a pretty easy time oversubscribing CPUs (running lots of VMs on a few CPUs), but have had a very hard time oversubscribing memory. GridCentric, a virtualization startup, just posted on their blog a video demoing the creation of 16 one-gigabyte desktop VMs (running X) on a computer with just 5 gigs of RAM. The blog post includes a good explanation of how this is accomplished, along with a description of how it's different from the major approaches being used today (memory ballooning, VMWare's page sharing, etc.). Their method is based on a combination of lightweight VM cloning (sort of like fork() for VMs) and on-demand paging. Seems like the 'other half' of resource oversubscription for VMs might finally be here."

4 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Leaky Fawcet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Given how many programs leak memory. Its amazing that companies get away with oversubscribing memory without running into big issues. And desktop programs are usually the worst of the bunch.

    Definte Disagree. I think niggers are usually the worst of the bunch.

  2. Re:nothing new by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    So, I once ran 20 virtualized supercomputer clusters on the Casio wristwatch I lost up your daddy's ass.

  3. I too am guilty of oversubscribing.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    ...to your MOM!!! ba-ZING-a!

  4. Re:Leaky Fawcet by GooberToo · · Score: 0, Troll

    Considering I qualified my statements with "under pressure", the only person who misunderstood, is you.