Adding memory to the exchange box 1

[Rookcr]

Good day,

My new exchange server needs more memory. I am going to double it and go to 2GB. I realize there is the -3GB switch but is there anything else I should be concerned with when upgrading?

Just lookin for clairification

Thanks!

 

[ntinlin]

Pagefile size will probably increase so check you have enough free space on the drive that is hosting it.

 

[johnny99]

The /3GB switch can only be used on the Win2K/2003 Advance Server.
I would just shutdown the server, plug in the extra memory and restart the server.
As ntinlin says, also look at the pagefile.

/johnny

 

[Rookcr]

Thanks. WAnted to make sure I was not missing anything

 

[urosg]

the 3/gb switch works on all windows 2003 server os versions

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=810371

uros

 

[Zelandakh]

johnny was half right - it is advanced server only. But only for 2000.

/3GB is for 2000 advanced server and ANY 2003 server.

i.e. NOT for 2000 standard server.

<signature for rent>

 

[Rookcr]

Thanks for the help. According to another KB article (810371 ) there are additional settings for a Userva switch for the following according to MicrosoftL:

"This allows more page table entry (PTE) kernel memory but still maintains almost 3 gigabytes (GB) of process memory space."

Going to give this a try. Thanks again for all of your help.

Rook

 

[xmsre]

The /3GB switch takes some memory away form the kernal side, and gives it to the user side. In the process, the amount of memory for system resources is reduced. On of those resources is page table entries. The number of page table entries is severely restricted if you use the /3GB switch. This can have adverse affects on any process that uses PTEs, like device drivers for your storage.

We used to give some memory back, by setting the system pages registry value to 30,000 or so. In 2003 Microsoft introduced the /USERVA switch, which does essentially the same thing without editing the registry. Adding the /USERVA=3030 switch to the boot.ini has about the same effect as setting system pages to 30,000 in Windows 2000.

In addition to redistributing memory between user and kernal mode in order to give more memory to applications, the /3GB switch can intesifiy virtual memory fragmentation. To lessen this effect, we usually set the heapdecommitfreeblockthreshold value to 40,000.

 

[Rookcr]

Xmsre,

Thanks for the better explanation. I will go back and take a look at the heapdecommitfreeblockthreshold value as I am not sure what ours would be at. More then likely the default.

Rook

 

[A15]

I have added the /3GB and the /USERVA=3030 switches to my server following an event ID that specified that the memory setting on my server are not optimized for exchange.
However I till get this message......any idea to what other setting I should chang??

 

[Rookcr]

I recieved the same message this morning. ( I made the changes today) I wonder if it would be the heap setting Xmsre talked about.

 

[darren97]

Sorry to tag onto the end, but what about a scenario whereby E2K3 is installed on a W2K server. I would assume that because I can't use the /Userva switch because its 2K I would have to modify the system pages registry value to 30000. Could you point me to that reg key.
Thanks