Which feature of VMware vSphere will automate the process of migrating virtual machines to fewer hosts during times of low workloads?

Anjali D.Jun 26, 2026

The correct answer is C, DPM, which stands for Distributed Power Management. DPM works alongside vSphere DRS to monitor cluster utilization, and when it detects that workloads are light enough to consolidate, it automatically vMotions VMs onto fewer hosts and then powers down the now-empty ones to save energy. This is exactly the "migrate to fewer hosts during low workloads" behavior the question describes, so if you see anything about automatic consolidation or power savings at the host level, think DPM first. The distractors are worth a quick note for context. FT (Fault Tolerance) is about keeping a VM running with zero downtime if a host fails, not about workload consolidation. EVC (Enhanced vMotion Compatibility) just makes sure CPUs across hosts are compatible for live migration. HA (High Availability) restarts VMs on surviving hosts after a failure. None of those touch the power-saving, consolidation angle at all. Does anyone in the group have a good mnemonic for keeping DPM and DRS straight? Those two trip people up together a lot.

Hiroshi T.Nov 18, 2025

The correct answer is C, DPM (Distributed Power Management). DPM is a feature of vSphere DRS that monitors cluster resource utilization and, when workloads are low, automatically migrates virtual machines off of underutilized hosts using vMotion and then powers those hosts down to save energy. The key phrase in the question is "automate the process of migrating virtual machines to fewer hosts during times of low workloads," which is the exact definition of what DPM does, not any of the other options. FT (Fault Tolerance) keeps a live shadow copy of a VM on another host for zero-downtime failover, HA (High Availability) restarts VMs on surviving hosts after a host failure, and EVC (Enhanced vMotion Compatibility) ensures CPU compatibility across hosts in a cluster so vMotion can work, but none of those three have anything to do with consolidating workloads to save power. The VMware documentation for vSphere DRS and DPM makes this distinction very clear. Memorize DPM equals power consolidation during low utilization, and you will not second-guess this on exam day.

Yelena W.Nov 15, 2025

DPM powers down hosts when load drops, saw this exact wording on my 701 attempt last spring and almost second-guessed myself toward HA before the "fewer hosts" detail locked it in.

Mei-Ling H.Nov 24, 2025

DPM, Distributed Power Management, is correct here. The word "automate" combined with "fewer hosts" and "low workloads" points straight to DPM because it monitors cluster utilization and automatically vMotions VMs onto consolidated hosts, then powers off the idle ones to save energy.

Yusuf A.Jun 27, 2026

Saw this exact one on my test last month and almost went with HA because my supervisor always talks about it, but then I remembered the senior on my team saying DPM is the one that actually powers hosts down when demand drops, not just moves VMs around for availability. Once I connected "fewer hosts during low workloads" to the consolidation and power-down behavior, C clicked right away.

Lena V.Jun 27, 2026

DPM, Distributed Power Management, is the one doing exactly what the question describes, consolidating VMs onto fewer hosts when utilization drops, then putting the now-empty hosts into standby to cut power draw. HA restarts VMs after a failure, FT keeps a live shadow copy running at all times, and EVC is purely about CPU compatibility for vMotion across different host generations, none of that touches power consolidation. The trap here is HA, because people hear "moving VMs around automatically" and jump to it, but HA only kicks in when something breaks, not when things are quiet. I saw this exact scenario on my 1V0-701 sitting last spring and the word "low workloads" was the giveaway I used to eliminate everything else and land on C without second-guessing myself.