Kubernetes Resource Limits: Memory vs CPU (Quick Insight)
When a container exceeds its resource limits, Kubernetes handles memory and CPU very differently:
🔴 Memory Limit Exceeded
- Pod is OOMKilled (Out Of Memory)
- Container is terminated immediately
- Reason: Memory is not compressible → system must free it
🟡 CPU Limit Exceeded
- Pod is NOT killed
- CPU usage is throttled
- Container runs slower but continues running
📌 Key Takeaway
Memory = Hard limit → Crash
CPU = Soft limit → Throttle
⚙️ Best Practices
Always define proper requests & limits to avoid unexpected failures in production. Monitor your resource usage regularly and adjust limits based on actual consumption patterns.
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