@#$@#$@ memory problems!! 3

[Will192]

This past weekend we added 2gb of memory to our server, bring it to 8gb. We are running Win2000 Advanced Server with SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition.

Before the memory upgrade I had the SQL Server manually set to allocate 4gb out of the 6gb to SQL Server.

After the upgrade I manually set SQL Server to allocate 6gb out of the 8gb to SQL Server.

Now the fun stuff starts. Now jobs start failing, the master database is reported to have problems(but no DBCC command reports any errors) and other weird things.

I manually set it back to 4gb and nothing changes, still weird behavior. I manually set it to dynamically take between 1gb and 6gb based on needs and everything starts to work fine. (so far)

I have worked with Dell and have ran their memory diagnostics and they say everything is fine. The server is all Dell parts and all the memory came from Dell.

What the #$%#^& is going on?

 

[Jamfool]

Can you give more examples as to your awe settings

http://www.sql-server-performance.com/awe_memory.asp

 

[Will192]

/3gb and /pae are in the boot.ini file. They have been there for about a year.

 

[Jamfool]

sorry just to cover all the initial bases. SP_CONFIGURE when run shows that AWE is enabled? you have also set a max server memory?

SP_CONFIGURE 'show advanced options', 1 
RECONFIGURE                              
GO 

SP_CONFIGURE 'awe enabled', 1
RECONFIGURE
GO 

SP_CONFIGURE 'max server memory', 4096
RECONFIGURE
GO

 

[Will192]

I set it on when I put the settings in the boot.ini file. How do I check to see if I left the AWE on in SQL Server? We have opened the system up to the users, so I can't reboot SQL Server till tonight. I would like to check and see what the AWE is set to.

 

[Jamfool]

just run sp_configure

ones to look for: awe enabled + max server memory (MB)

config_value and run_value

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/adminsql/ad_config_3wmr.asp

 

[Will192]

Well, it looks like AWE is NOT turned on on my server. Would this cause the problems that I have seen? Wouldn't SQL Server just NOT try and use the memory? Maybe I am assuming too much from Microsoft. Anway.

 

[SQLBill]

SQL Server is designed to use only 2GB of memory. To use more, AWE must be set.

-SQLBill

Posting advice: FAQ481-4875

 

[Will192]

I got AWE enabled last night, told SQL server to take 5.5gb out of the 8gb, not a range of memory.

I rebooted and let the nightly jobs run. There are some big jobs that run overnight, joining tables with millions of rows, etc.

Everything ran fine with no errors last night!!! I will continue to monitor it, but it appears everything is working fine and SQL Server is using the memory.

Thanks for the response(s) to my post.

 

[Jamfool]

cool glad it all worked out for you.