---
title: Memory requests not defined
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: >-
  Docs > Datadog Security > Code Security > Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
  Security > IaC Security Rules > Memory requests not defined
---

# Memory requests not defined

{% callout %}
# Important note for users on the following Datadog sites: app.ddog-gov.com, us2.ddog-gov.com

{% alert level="danger" %}
This product is not supported for your selected [Datadog site](https://docs.datadoghq.com/getting_started/site.md). ({% placeholder "user-datadog-site-name" /%}).
{% /alert %}

{% /callout %}

## Metadata{% #metadata %}

**Id:** `terraform-kubernetes-memory-requests-not-defined` 

**Provider:** Kubernetes

**Platform:** Terraform

**Severity:** Medium

**Category:** Resource Management

#### Learn More{% #learn-more %}

- [Provider Reference](https://registry.terraform.io/providers/hashicorp/kubernetes/latest/docs/resources/pod#requests)

### Description{% #description %}

Memory requests should be defined for each container. This allows the kubelet to reserve the requested amount of memory and prevents over-provisioning of individual nodes. Each container must set resources.requests.memory so the scheduler can make informed placement decisions and the kubelet can enforce reservations. Missing memory requests can lead to resource contention and unpredictable behavior on nodes.

## Compliant Code Examples{% #compliant-code-examples %}

```terraform

resource "kubernetes_pod" "negative1" {
  metadata {
    name = "terraform-example"
  }

  spec {
    container = [
     {
      image = "nginx:1.7.9"
      name  = "example22"

      resources = {
            limits = {
              cpu    = "0.5"
              memory = "512Mi"
            }
            requests = {
              cpu    = "250m"
              memory = "50Mi"
            }
      }

      env = {
        name  = "environment"
        value = "test"
      }

      port = {
        container_port = 8080
      }

      liveness_probe = {
        http_get = {
          path = "/nginx_status"
          port = 80

          http_header = {
            name  = "X-Custom-Header"
            value = "Awesome"
          }
        }

        initial_delay_seconds = 3
        period_seconds        = 3
      }
     }
     ,
     {
      image = "nginx:1.7.9"
      name  = "example22222"

      resources = {
            limits = {
              cpu    = "0.5"
              memory = "512Mi"
            }
            requests = {
              cpu    = "250m"
              memory = "50Mi"
            }
      }

      env = {
        name  = "environment"
        value = "test"
      }

      port = {
        container_port = 8080
      }

      liveness_probe = {
        http_get = {
          path = "/nginx_status"
          port = 80

          http_header = {
            name  = "X-Custom-Header"
            value = "Awesome"
          }
        }

        initial_delay_seconds = 3
        period_seconds        = 3
      }
     }
   ]


    dns_config {
      nameservers = ["1.1.1.1", "8.8.8.8", "9.9.9.9"]
      searches    = ["example.com"]

      option {
        name  = "ndots"
        value = 1
      }

      option {
        name = "use-vc"
      }
    }

    dns_policy = "None"
  }
}



resource "kubernetes_pod" "negative2" {
  metadata {
    name = "terraform-example"
  }

  spec {
    container {
      image = "nginx:1.7.9"
      name  = "example"

      resources  {
            limits  {
              cpu    = "0.5"
              memory = "512Mi"
            }
            requests {
              cpu    = "250m"
              memory = "50Mi"
            }
      }

      env {
        name  = "environment"
        value = "test"
      }

      port {
        container_port = 8080
      }

      liveness_probe {
        http_get {
          path = "/nginx_status"
          port = 80

          http_header {
            name  = "X-Custom-Header"
            value = "Awesome"
          }
        }

        initial_delay_seconds = 3
        period_seconds        = 3
      }
    }


    dns_config {
      nameservers = ["1.1.1.1", "8.8.8.8", "9.9.9.9"]
      searches    = ["example.com"]

      option {
        name  = "ndots"
        value = 1
      }

      option {
        name = "use-vc"
      }
    }

    dns_policy = "None"
  }
}
```

## Non-Compliant Code Examples{% #non-compliant-code-examples %}

```terraform

resource "kubernetes_pod" "positive1" {
  metadata {
    name = "terraform-example"
  }

  spec {
    container = [
     {
      image = "nginx:1.7.9"
      name  = "example22"

      env = {
        name  = "environment"
        value = "test"
      }

      port = {
        container_port = 8080
      }

      liveness_probe = {
        http_get = {
          path = "/nginx_status"
          port = 80

          http_header = {
            name  = "X-Custom-Header"
            value = "Awesome"
          }
        }

        initial_delay_seconds = 3
        period_seconds        = 3
      }
     }
     ,
     {
      image = "nginx:1.7.9"
      name  = "example22222"

      resources = {
            requests = {
              cpu = "250m"
            }
      }

      env = {
        name  = "environment"
        value = "test"
      }

      port = {
        container_port = 8080
      }

      liveness_probe = {
        http_get = {
          path = "/nginx_status"
          port = 80

          http_header = {
            name  = "X-Custom-Header"
            value = "Awesome"
          }
        }

        initial_delay_seconds = 3
        period_seconds        = 3
      }
     }
   ]


    dns_config {
      nameservers = ["1.1.1.1", "8.8.8.8", "9.9.9.9"]
      searches    = ["example.com"]

      option {
        name  = "ndots"
        value = 1
      }

      option {
        name = "use-vc"
      }
    }

    dns_policy = "None"
  }
}



resource "kubernetes_pod" "positive2" {
  metadata {
    name = "terraform-example"
  }

  spec {
    container {
      image = "nginx:1.7.9"
      name  = "example"

      resources {
            limits {
              cpu    = "0.5"
              memory = "512Mi"
            }
      }

      env {
        name  = "environment"
        value = "test"
      }

      port {
        container_port = 8080
      }

      liveness_probe {
        http_get {
          path = "/nginx_status"
          port = 80

          http_header {
            name  = "X-Custom-Header"
            value = "Awesome"
          }
        }

        initial_delay_seconds = 3
        period_seconds        = 3
      }
    }


    dns_config {
      nameservers = ["1.1.1.1", "8.8.8.8", "9.9.9.9"]
      searches    = ["example.com"]

      option {
        name  = "ndots"
        value = 1
      }

      option {
        name = "use-vc"
      }
    }

    dns_policy = "None"
  }
}
```