What is the recommended maximum memory value that is displayed when configuring a virtual machine based upon?

this is a bad question,

when looking at Memory config for a new VM, there are 2 Maximum’s
“Maximum recommended for this guest OS” and “Maximum recommended for best performance”

“Maximum recommended for this guest OS” is dependent on the OS chosen, WinNT recommends 2gb, 2003 recommends 64 gb, etc.

“Maximum recommended for best performance” is based on the memory in the host.

I guess this question is assuming that “recommended” is based on VMware not the Guest OS Vendor.

I think, the answer is O.K. Why? The amount of memory in the ESXi host is in other words the HOST MEMORY and this is the memory amount that you told the guest OS it could use.

Vague question. Both the maximum based on the host and on the guest OS are displayed, could be either A or C since the question doesn’t specify “Maximum recommended for best performance” or “maximum recommended for this guest OS”
There are 2 Maximum’s:
“Maximum recommended for this guest OS” and “Maximum recommended for best performance”
“Maximum recommended for this guest OS” is dependent on the OS chosen, WinNT recommends 2gb, 2003 recommends 64 gb, etc.
“Maximum recommended for best performance” is based on the memory in the host.
I guess this question is assuming that “recommended” is based on VMware not the Guest OS Vendor.
The question is a bit stupid. It needs to ask which recommended maximum memory value it is chatting about.
You get a “Maximum recommended for this guest OS”, a “Maximum recommended for best performance”, and “Default recommended for guest OS” (this is the one chosen by default), then you also have the “minimum recommended for guest OS”
If they are chatting about best performance, then the answer is “The amount of memory in the ESXi host” – as when I select an OS of Win2008R2 64 bit or Win 2003 32 bit, the “maximum for best performance” are both equal to the total RAM in my host (8GB), but the “maximum recommended for the guest OS” is 1011GB and 64GB respectively – neither of which are realistic in my little host with only 8GB of ram!
If they are chatting about the “Maximum recommended for this guest OS” (which indeed is the highest number displayed on the screen) then none of the answers are correct? Windows2008 R2 Datacenter supports 2TB of RAM. But my screen only says 1011GB. So must be A is the correct answer!
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What does the recommended maximum memory value that is displayed when configuring a virtual represent?
A.
The value that the operating system vendor reports as being optimal for performance
B.
The threshold needed for the ESXi host to satisfy a reservation value
C.
The maximum value the guest operating system supports
*D.
The threshold above which the physical memory of the ESXi host is insufficient to run the virtual machine at full speed
Explanation:
The virtual machine settings editor also shows a value for the maximum amount of memory for best performance. If you have only one virtual machine running on the host and you set virtual machine memory to this value, the virtual machine can run entirely in RAM. A virtual machine running completely in RAM performs better than a virtual machine that must swap some of its memory to disk.
WRONG its C. Your explanation is about “The maximum for best performance”. The 1011GB is a fixed max for ANY guest OS.
vSphere 5 Virtual Mashine Amdin guide page 34:
Configure Virtual Memory in the vSphere Client The amount of memory that you allocate for a virtual machine is the amount of memory that the guest operating system detects.
Minimum memory size is 4MB for virtual machines that use BIOS firmware. Virtual machines that use EFI firmware require at least 96MB of RAM or they cannot power on.
Maximum memory size for a virtual machine depends on the host’s physical memory and the virtual machine’s
hardware version.
If the virtual machine memory is greater than the host memory size, swapping occurs, which can have a severe effect on virtual machine performance. The memory size must be a multiple of 4MB. The maximum for best performance represents the threshold above which the host’s physical memory is insufficient to run the virtual machine at full speed. This value fluctuates as conditions on the host change, for example, as virtual machines are powered on or off.
Table 4-1. Maximum Virtual Machine Memory
Introduced in Host Version Virtual Machine Version Maximum Memory Size
ESXi 5.0 8 1011GB
ESX/ESXi 4.x 7 255GB
ESX/ESXi 3.x 4 65,532MB
The recommended maximum memory value displayed when configuring a VM
represents?
A.
The value that the OS vendor reports as being optimal for performance
B.
The maximum value the guest OS supports
*C.
The threshold above which a host’s physical memory is insufficient to run the virtual
machine at optimal performance
D.
The threshold needed in order for the ESX Host to satisfy a reservation value