Work out process memory (rss vs vsz) instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
VSZ counts the entire virtual address space including memory-mapped files, reserved-but-untouched heap and shared libraries, so it routinely exceeds physical memory and is not a measure of consumption. RSS is what is actually resident, and even that double counts shared pages across processes — so real usage for a worker pool is private memory times count plus shared once.
Memory accounting
private = RSS - shared; real total = instances x private + shared; naive sum = instances x RSS
Both reserve large virtual address ranges up front for their heaps and arenas. The reservation costs no physical memory until pages are touched.
RSS or PSS, and container memory.current where cgroups are in use. VSZ alerts fire constantly and mean nothing.