What is one characteristic of oversubscription in a computing environment?

Oversubscription is a strategy in a computing environment where the allocated resources, such as CPU, memory, or storage, exceed the actual physical resources available. This is often done to maximize resource utilization and ensure that resources are effectively used based on anticipated demand rather than actual availability.

The characteristic of less physical capacity than virtual capacity is crucial in understanding oversubscription. In practical terms, this means that while a system may allow a certain amount of resources to be reserved or expected by applications or users (the virtual capacity), the underlying physical resources available to fulfill these expectations may be much lower. This creates a scenario where multiple users or processes may be using the same physical resources concurrently, which can lead to challenges in managing performance if demand exceeds available capacity.

This characteristic is essential for environments where resource demands can fluctuate, allowing for flexibility and potentially higher efficiency. However, it necessitates careful monitoring and management to avoid performance degradation, which is a risk associated with oversubscription. Thus, understanding this relationship between physical and virtual capacities is key for effective data storage and resource management in modern computing environments.