SQL Serer using too much memory

  • I have a SQL server installation on a Win 2000 server which was in use time to time. Now we need to utilize this server as the main Prod box is too full. Today I start looking at the box and realized that the memory is in use more then 80% all the time - 8G - there's nothing running on the box then mmc.exe and sqlservr.exe with no users - only me... If I stop the sql server, the memory usage goes back to normal. The problem is that I need to install some applications and there's no memory for the install to run. In the server properties, I can see that SQL server uses fixed memory but this is much less then what the task Manager shows... Rebooting the box did not change the situation...

    What else I can look to fix the situation.

    Thanks a lot for the help.mj

  • Please provide sp_configure results as I want to see max and min server memory values.

  • Task Manager does not provide accurate memory usage information for AWE. Specificly, the memory indicated for sqlservr.exe is never correct.

    You must use the Performance Monitor to retrieve information on SQL Server memory usage and available memory. Use the Total Server Memory (KB) performance counter to determine the actual used memory.

    SQL = Scarcely Qualifies as a Language

  • I'll run again sp_configure tomorrow morning.

    The memory usage is very high even in the Perf Mon. The machine is all pegged - the installer from my app cannot complete as there's not enough memory...

    I have another test server with the same configuration, but the memory usage there is much, much less... something is wrong with this box...

    Thanks a lot, mj

  • Bellow are the values from sp_config. I have very similar values on another server and its memory showing much less then this one.

    What else I can look to determine what is wrong with the machine:

    Thanks a lot,mj

    affinity mask-2147483648214748364700

    allow updates0100

    awe enabled0111

    c2 audit mode0100

    cost threshold for parallelism03276755

    Cross DB Ownership Chaining0100

    cursor threshold-12147483647-1-1

    default full-text language0214748364710331033

    default language0999900

    fill factor (%)010000

    index create memory (KB)704214748364700

    lightweight pooling0111

    locks5000214748364700

    max degree of parallelism03200

    max server memory (MB)4214748364710241024

    max text repl size (B)021474836476553665536

    max worker threads3232767255255

    media retention036500

    min memory per query (KB)512214748364710241024

    min server memory (MB)0214748364710241024

    nested triggers0111

    network packet size (B)5126553640964096

    open objects0214748364700

    priority boost0100

    query governor cost limit0214748364700

    query wait (s)-12147483647-1-1

    recovery interval (min)0327673276732767

    remote access0111

    remote login timeout (s)021474836472020

    remote proc trans0100

    remote query timeout (s)02147483647600600

    scan for startup procs0100

    set working set size0100

    show advanced options0111

    two digit year cutoff1753999920492049

    user connections03276700

    user options03276700

  • What sets my warning bells on is that you have AWE enabled and yet only max server memory configured to 1024. I am not sure what effects that will have. Have you tried setting max server memory to something larger, such as 4092? Then see if the server aquires that much memory but not more.

    Also, just to be sure, you are not running multiple instances here are you?

  • No multiple instances. I was trying to install a 3rd party app and there was not enpugh memory - I stopped the SQL server and did it, but I have never had such problem - I have the same config on another similar server and no problems there like this one.

    Looking at your suggestion - from BOL - "the default setting for max server memory is 2147483647. The minimum amount of memory you can specify for max server memory is 4 MB". My max one is 1024... I guess somebody tried to use a fix memory for the SQL server and did not set it right... Let me experiment with this and I'll post my results.

    Thanks a lot for the help.

    mj

  • Is SQL2K 'standard' or 'enterprise' ? If it's 'standard' then I cannot see how it can address more than 2 Gb (actually only use 1.6 to 1.8 Gb) ...

    RegardsRudy KomacsarSenior Database Administrator"Ave Caesar! - Morituri te salutamus."

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