/3GB switch
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Hi everyone,
I am trying to allocate more space to one of my SQL 2K servers. I researched adding the /3GB switch to boot.ini and found out how to add the switch to the file and also found out that SQL 2K is already ready to use 3GB if the /3GB switch is used. So I make the change in boot.ini and reboot, and it's been several days now, but Task Manager shows that SQL is using 1.7GB of memory, just like before. Did I miss anything?
Thanks in advance.
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What OS version are you running? The /3GB switch is only supported in the following Windows platforms:
Windows XP Professional
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition
Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition
Windows 2000 Advanced Server
Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
Windows NT Server 4.0, Enterprise Edition
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in boot.ini set the /PAE switch.
Then open Query Analyzer, run sp_configure.
Look for the values for AWE. It should be 0,1,1,1 or 0,1,1,0
If it is not one of those, run this:
sp_configure 'awe', 1
reconfigure with override
Then you will need to stop and start the SQL Server services for it to take effect.
0,1,1,0 means it is set, but not in effect (needs the services restarted).
-SQLBill
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ARRGGGHHH, I am using Win 2K Server, and it's not supported.
How can I give more memory to SQL on Win 2K Server? Should I go with PAE/AWE?
BTW, thanks to both of you for your help.
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This will be dependant on your SQL Server 2000 version. You will need to be running Developer or Enterprise edition. You will also need at least 4GB of memory installed on your server. AWE/PAE allows for memory usage above 4GB. Let's say you have 8 GB. You would then be able to enable AWE/PAE and allocate 6 GB for SQL Server. If you were able to use the /3GB switch, you could allocate 7GB for SQL Server and leave 1 for the OS.
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I have 4GB memory and SQL 2K Enterprise Edition. Which way do you recommend me to set it up so that it gets more memory?
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You have 2 options to increase your memory.
1. Upgrade your server OS to Windows Advanced Server. Configure your boot.ini file to use the /3GB switch. Configure SQL Server's Max Server Memory to use 3 GB.
2. Add more memory into your server. Configure AWE/PAE as SQLBill has shown. Configure SQL Server's Max Server Memory to the appropriate value.
If you are running W2K Standard edition with only 4GB of memory, the most SQL Server will ever be able to use is 2GB. Out of this 2GB comes some overhead memory so that is why you are seeing approx. 1.7 GB. Make sense?
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I see, thanks much for your great reply. And thanks to everyone as well.
Regards,
Shahgols
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How to configure SQL Server to use more than 2 GB of physical memory
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/274750
AWE Memory SQL Server Performance Tuning
http://www.sql-server-performance.com/awe_memory.asp
MohammedU
Microsoft SQL Server MVP -
Just as an aside...
If you were running Win 2000 Adv Svr, and had the 4GB RAM in place, your /3GB switch should work. You would not need to use the /PAE switch in the boot.ini file and the AWE option in SQL Svr (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa196705(SQL.80).aspx). AWE and the /PAE switch are for accessing memory > 4GB.
Rgds iwg
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You might also want to look at this: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/899761.
We are in the middle of some fun with this issue. I'm just a developer, so one step removed, but another thing we have been looking at is the properties of the login under which SQL Server is running - it seems that although we used a local admin account, there was another setting that needed to be made to allow this user to access all the RAM on the box.
Upshot of all of this is that our 4 processor 16GB server can take longer to run my process than my development PC (1 processor, 1 GB) - which is nice.
Bill.
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