SQL 2005 Standard Edition Memory Management

  • I have read differing reports on SQL 2005 Standard Edition's ability to use memory above 4Gb.  Is anyone using SQL 2005 Standard successfully to manage more than 4 Gb of memory?  I have a server with 12Gb of memory.  Do you recommend using the SQL 2005 Enterprise Edition?  Thanks.

  • Yes, SQL Server 2005 can handle that much memory. However the base OS will still be your bottleneck. I believe it is, Standard OS is only 4GBs and Enterprise OS will allow up to 32 GBs.

    EDIT - Enterprise has different features around DB Mirroring, Log shipping, etc

  • As Graham alrady wrote, it's the OS which determines how much memeory SQL Server Standard Edit. can use. Also on a 32-bit OS you need to use AWE and 3/gb, while on a 64-bit OS that's not necessary.

    Markus

    [font="Verdana"]Markus Bohse[/font]

  • Thanks for your replies.  The server has Windows 2003 Enterprise, so the OS should not be an issue.  I just want to be sure to purchase the correct SQL 2005 version for it.

  • Are you using 32-bit OS or a 64-bit OS?

     

  • We are using 32-bit OS.

  • So, if the OS can address 12Gb, then SQL Server 2005 Standard can use 12Gb as well?  I do not need the Enterprise Edition to use over 4Gb of memory...just to be absolutely clear on this.  Thanks!

  • When you have 12 GB then configure max memory 10 GB and leave 2 GB for OS.

     

     

    MohammedU
    Microsoft SQL Server MVP

  • SQL2K5 can address whatever the operating system maximum is. If you have more than 4GB of memory it's a good idea to use 2GB for the operating system 
    http://www.microsoft.com/sql/prodinfo/features/compare-features.mspx

    MG

    "There are two ways of constructing a software design. One way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies. And the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies."
    Tony Hoare

    "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair.

  • OOPs -that should have been SQL2K5 Standard Edition

    MG

    "There are two ways of constructing a software design. One way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies. And the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies."
    Tony Hoare

    "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair.

  • I believe with standard edition sql 2005 you will be limited to 3gb of memory.

    summary of my understanding:

    32 bit system can use 4gb by default. (2gb to usr applications 2gb to os)

    with the /3gb switch you can change this to (3gb user applications and 1gb os)

    with the /pae switch you could get a 32 bit os to use upto 16gb of memory

    However, I believe that sql can only use more than the 3gb on 32 bit os if it is enabled for awe support, which is only possible in enterprise / developer editions.

    a couple articles http://sqlservercentral.com/columnists/pmu/2644_printversion.asp

    http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/power/ps3q06-20060270-Sankaran.pdf

    Hope that helps.

     

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