Compaq / Novell Memory question

[marvhuffaker]

Ok, the servers these days can support a lot of RAM. NetWare 6.x can support up to 64GB (4GB base + 60GB for cache afaik). .. Anway, when you load up a Compaq server with 4GB or more, and you tell it that you're running a Novell server, it automatically caps you at about 3.8GB.

What gives.

Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[terry712]

on what server

i've got a couple of 580's with 6gb. i double check this morn that it is registering above the 3.8

 

[marvhuffaker]

They are the ML370-G3, patched with latest bios and 4.5GB ram. But I've ran into this same problem on other servers as well.



Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[shorowitz]

Marvin..

Thanx for all your great solutions. I have several Compaq ML530-G1's loaded with 4 gigs of memory each. The console memory command shows 3,997,309 kilobytes. Monitor displays 4,093,244,416 in System Resources. I don't know if this helps or just adds to the question.

Stan Horowitz

 

[marvhuffaker]

Stan, Thanks for you nice comment. I appreciate it.

Your reply just adds to the question. It seems like you're getting a higher number than I am, but still you're not getting the full capacity. It's hitting about 3.8GB.. Take that number and divide by 1024 and then by 1024 again. This should give you how many GB. The reason the console shows a different amount is because it's in K, where monitor shows it in bytes. But it's the same.

4,093,244,416/1024 = 3,997,309K. 3997309/1024= 3903MB.
3903/1024= 3.81GB

On every compaq system I've ever used, when I choose NetWare as the Operating System in the BIOS, the RAM automatically adjusts down to about 3.8GB from the total available memory. Once that is done, that's all I get on the NetWare side. It's as if the BIOS limits the amount available to NetWare. If I could get it higher in there (the bios), I'm sure NetWare would see it just fine.

For example, a 4.5GB server (ML370-G3) should display 4,718,592K, approximately. But the one I just checked only shows 3,931,749 K from the console, which calculates out to 3.749 GB.

When I get a chance, I will RILO into the bios on a system with that much RAM and get the exact screen shots of before and after so it is more clear what I am talking about. I know it's hard to understand the problem because until recently, having a server with 4GB Ram is not that common so a lot of people have never noticed this phenomenon.

Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[terry712]

looked at a 580 today

if you type memory at server
its say it has 4gb and 2 gb extended
monitor show 4gb

 

[marvhuffaker]

Terry, you are one lucky guy. So do you know what OS you have it set for in the BIOS? Is it NetWare? Or something else?

Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[terry712]

set to netware 5/6

havent check any 370's as dont have any that exceed 4

 

[tpulley]

Just have to ask the question; What would the difference be if you changed the bios to another operating system? The hard ware shouldn't care what the OS is like or should it? Does it look for different block sizes for storage, or memory calls?

Reading the posts just inspired the above....

 

[shorowitz]

Forgot to say in earlier post that my servers are running NW 5.1 w/sp5 and eDir 8.6.2 w/sp3. All 36.4 gig internal drives.

Stan E. Horowitz

 

[marvhuffaker]

I'm not sure if there are other implications when selecting a different OS. I know I've had problems with when wiping the MS system and making it a Netware box (Which btw, is the right thing to do).... When the setting was Microsfot, the system wouldn't boot correctly to Netware. Not sure what the RAM would have to do with that though.

Marvin Huffaker MCNE, CNE
Marvin Huffaker Consulting

http://www.redjuju.com