On Cloud-based Oversubscription

Rising trends in the number of customers turning to the cloud for their computing needs has made effective resource allocation imperative for cloud service providers. In order to maximize profits and reduce waste, providers have started to explore the benefits of oversubscribing cloud resources. However, the benefits of oversubscription in the cloud are not without inherent risks. In this paper, we attempt to unveil the different incentives, risks, and techniques behind oversubscription in a cloud infrastructure. Additionally, we provide an overview of research that has been completed on the topic and make suggestions for the direction of future work. Keywords— cloud computing, overbooking, oversubscription, resource allocation, resource utilization