Apache Kafka Complete Practice Exam 2026 – All-in-One Prep

An excessively large page cache can lead to potential performance degradation due to several factors related to how memory is managed and utilized by the operating system. When the page cache consumes a disproportionate amount of system memory, it can result in insufficient memory being available for applications and processes that require active working sets. This can lead to increased page faults, where the system has to swap data in and out of memory more frequently, causing latencies that can slow down application performance.

Additionally, if the cache becomes too large, it can crowd out other important data in RAM that would otherwise provide quick access, leading to inefficient memory usage. This situation can drive the system to excessive swapping between disk and memory, further compounding performance issues. Overall, while a certain level of page caching can enhance throughput by reducing the need for disk reads, an excessively large cache can disrupt the balance needed for optimal performance, leading to the observed degradation.

The other options may present misunderstandings of how caching works in connection with system resources. Improved message throughput typically occurs with a well-sized cache, not an excessively large one, while messages becoming instantly available is more idealistic than practical, and the risk of data loss can be reduced through the right data replication and durability settings rather than relying on cache