What is the default shutdown order of virtual machines (VMs) on a host?

The default shutdown order of virtual machines on a host is the reverse of the startup order. When virtual machines are powered off, it's important to shut them down in a sequence that maintains application reliability and data integrity. Typically, dependent VMs that rely on others for their services or data should be powered off after the VMs they depend on.

During the startup process, the system can start the VMs in a particular order to ensure that all necessary services are available. By shutting down in reverse, it ensures that dependencies are handled properly and that the process does not lead to service interruptions or data corruption. This approach is especially crucial in environments where applications span multiple VMs or rely on a particular service hierarchy.

The other options, such as shutting down alphabetically, based on utilization, or by size, do not consider the dependencies between VMs, which is the primary reason for a defined shutdown order.