What should CPU ready time in ESXi ideally remain below?

The ideal CPU ready time in ESXi should remain below 10%. CPU ready time refers to the amount of time a virtual machine (VM) is ready to run but is waiting for CPU resources to become available. A high CPU ready time indicates that the VM is experiencing contention for CPU resources, which can lead to performance degradation.

When CPU ready time exceeds this 10% threshold, it often signals that there are not enough CPU resources allocated to meet the demands of the VMs running on the host. Keeping CPU ready time below 10% helps ensure that VMs operate efficiently, with minimal latency in processing tasks. This target is a best practice for maintaining optimal performance in virtual environments, allowing for a balance between resource allocation and demand.

Staying below this level is crucial for ensuring high application performance and responsiveness, especially in environments with multiple VMs competing for CPU resources. Monitoring and managing CPU ready time effectively is essential for maintaining virtualization health and ensuring that workloads run smoothly.