SQL Server Performance Forum – Threads Archive
Memory Setting
Hi, I have a Win 2003 Ent Cluster (2 node active/passive). The servers have 8GB of RAM. We have the 3GB and PAE switches set in boot.ini. SQL 2000 SP3 (with MS03-31) Enterprise installed with AWE enabled and max memory set to 7GB. Now my problem is the server is paging massivley, by about 7GB. Looking in task manager SQL is using 130MB of RAM. My question is why is it paging and not using the available RAM??? Have I misunderstood the switches? I’ve been told that the uses for the switches has changed between Windows 2000 & 2003 – but from reading I believe I have the settings right. Also, the server has massive context switching – but I assume this is because of the paging problem. Any advice greatly appreciated! Thankshttp://www.sql-server-performance.com/operating_system_tuning_w2003.asp refers
If this is the case, one way to help boost performance on your non-dedicated server is to spread the paging file over multiple disk or disk arrays. You can spread a paging file in Windows 2003 onto as many as 16 separate files. By spreading out the paging file among more than one physical drive, simultaneous I/O requests can occur, speeding up access to the paging file (similar to disk striping). If the paging file is located on a single drive (the default setting when 2003 is installed), along with the operating system and other applications, then all these processes have to compete for I/O, which can produce bottlenecks. The more physical devices that the paging file can be distributed, the less potential for I/O bottlenecks, and performance is boosted. Keep in mind that you must distribute the paging file over physical drives, not drive partitions on a single drive, for this to work. In fact, if you were to distribute a paging file over multiple partitions on the same physical drive, you would in fact reduce the performance of the paging file even more than if you had left it on one partition. If your SQL Server has its own dedicated physical server, you don’t have to worry about spreading the paging file among multiple physical drives as there is not enough paging activity to make this effort worthwhile. [6.5, 7.0, 2000] Added 5-7-2003 HTH Satya SKJ
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I saw this document. Useful as it is, it doesn’t explain why I have so paging happening when there is plenty of physical RAM available. Am I correct to set the 3GB PAE switches and enable AWE on this server? Thanks
Yes in Win 2K3. Satya SKJ
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