AWE / Maximum Server Memory

We have a clustered environment with each node having 8GB memory, Win2k3
Enterprise Edition SP2, and SQL2k Enterprise Edition SP4.
I have read a few articles on AWE and the following link provided me with a
lot of information, but I still have a few questions:
http://www.sql-server-performance.com/awe_memory.asp
I understand that the switches that I should use are /3GB /PAE.
In the above article it stated that AWE technology is used only for the RAM
that exceeds the base 4GB of RAM. It further states that once the AWE
Enabled option is set to 1, SQL Server will take all of the RAM except 128MB
reserved for the OS. My question here is whether this statement refers to
128MB of the available AWE memory (e.g. the 128MB of the 4GB that is not from
the base 4GB in an 8GB configuration). So with the /3GB switch and AWE
enabled, does the operating system have approxiamtely 1.128GB dedicated to
the OS or only 128MB (this latter seems much too low).
When setting "Maximum Server Memory" does this refer to the entire 8GB (my
guess is yes)? And with no other applications running, should this be set to
8GB or (8GB - 1.128GB => 6.872GB).
The only other applications that we have running are the Vertias Client for
Backups and Symantec's Antivirus besides the standard Windows 2003 services.
I'm sure most production environments have something very similar. What
sould the recommended "Maximum Server Memory" be set to for a 8GB environment
with these services running.
Thanks,
Larry
Larry
> When setting "Maximum Server Memory" does this refer to the entire 8GB (my
> guess is yes)? And with no other applications running, should this be set
> to
> 8GB or (8GB - 1.128GB => 6.872GB).
Yes , you can set up even to 7GB :-))

> The only other applications that we have running are the Vertias Client
> for
> Backups and Symantec's Antivirus besides the standard Windows 2003
> services.
> I'm sure most production environments have something very similar. What
> sould the recommended "Maximum Server Memory" be set to for a 8GB
> environment
> with these services running.
You have to determine how much memory does each proccess take and
according to it set the MAX memory
"Larry Herbinaux" <LarryHerbinaux@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message news:7E65D50A-7BA1-4F5E-B62A-B8F9792C77CC@.microsoft.com...
> We have a clustered environment with each node having 8GB memory, Win2k3
> Enterprise Edition SP2, and SQL2k Enterprise Edition SP4.
> I have read a few articles on AWE and the following link provided me with
> a
> lot of information, but I still have a few questions:
> http://www.sql-server-performance.com/awe_memory.asp
> I understand that the switches that I should use are /3GB /PAE.
> In the above article it stated that AWE technology is used only for the
> RAM
> that exceeds the base 4GB of RAM. It further states that once the AWE
> Enabled option is set to 1, SQL Server will take all of the RAM except
> 128MB
> reserved for the OS. My question here is whether this statement refers to
> 128MB of the available AWE memory (e.g. the 128MB of the 4GB that is not
> from
> the base 4GB in an 8GB configuration). So with the /3GB switch and AWE
> enabled, does the operating system have approxiamtely 1.128GB dedicated to
> the OS or only 128MB (this latter seems much too low).
> When setting "Maximum Server Memory" does this refer to the entire 8GB (my
> guess is yes)? And with no other applications running, should this be set
> to
> 8GB or (8GB - 1.128GB => 6.872GB).
> The only other applications that we have running are the Vertias Client
> for
> Backups and Symantec's Antivirus besides the standard Windows 2003
> services.
> I'm sure most production environments have something very similar. What
> sould the recommended "Maximum Server Memory" be set to for a 8GB
> environment
> with these services running.
> Thanks,
> Larry
|||just to mention to be carefuly on mem counting having full 4gb of mem.
close to 4gb boundary, there may be memory mapped area used by motherboard
[pci cards etc], which may take almost 0,5gb of memory.
so, instead of 4gb, you may find available only 3,5gb appx or so
"Larry Herbinaux" <LarryHerbinaux@.discussions.microsoft.com> je napisao u
poruci interesnoj
grupi:7E65D50A-7BA1-4F5E-B62A-B8F9792C77CC@.microsoft.com...
> We have a clustered environment with each node having 8GB memory, Win2k3
> Enterprise Edition SP2, and SQL2k Enterprise Edition SP4.
> enabled, does the operating system have approxiamtely 1.128GB dedicated to
> the OS or only 128MB (this latter seems much too low).
>
> Larry