PageFile location? Suggestion?

[bran2235]

Hello Everyone-

Citrix 4.0 / W2k3 SP2 (farm of 26)... Publish the desktop on all servers (mostly Office 2003 Suite, IE, etc.)
M: \System Drive
N: \Data Drive

-Office (used a LOT) on M:
-Misc apps on N: (not used that much)

Building a new box- Anyone have any suggestions on where my pagefile should be created? My old-school thought was wherever there is less I/O... right? ...and 1.5 x physical RAM, right?

Anyone have any suggestions?

Many Thanks!
Brandon

 

[enigma99]

bran2235,
I usually just max my server out with 4095 (unless its x64...then you can put it to what ever you want).

My pagefile will usually go on a non-system partition like the D drive but this doesn't matter if you are using a single controller. The only time you can boost your performance on swap files is if you are using a dedicated controller for your OS, dedicated controller for your apps and a dedicated controller for your swap file.

Usually you are running a Citrix server on a single controller with RAID configuration. So there really isn't any performance boost by putting it on your C or any other partition.

Hope that helps.

 

[bran2235]

Enigma, YOU ARE THE MAN-

I've never heard that 'argument' before.. but comging from a storage environment, you are exactly right!!
I just discussed this with my boss and we are both in agreement with you...

In all the Citrix training I've been in- this hasnever been mentioned... the only thing abour a swap file / page file that had been discussed if a seperate page file needed to be created (seperate partition, etc.)...

What are your thoughts on that?

 

[ascotta]

Aha a favourite of mine. What you have to remember is that we are trying to achieve maximum application performance.

So as enigma99 has stated an endless amount of money means a separate controller for each physical device. Its the spindles that count not the number of partitions on a spindle. If the heads have to start sparking about to find the start of a logical drive then you are affecting performance. I would in that case never partition a physical hard disk. I am not even a great fan of using raid on Citrix servers, (though not averse to using the controllers ).

I would'nt max out the page file, however I will always make it a fixed size. We don't want windows to be using resource to resizing swap files etc.

1.5 x the RAM is good. I can't recall having had to up it at all. But my memory dims with age.

In your case I would make the Page file on your N drive (assuming it is a different physical drive) and would make it 1.5 times the physical RAM.

[blue] A perspective from the other side!![/blue]

Cheers
Scott

 

[bran2235]

Thanks, guys!!!

I forgot to mention in my second post that I too am using a RAID 1 set = one logical drive with two partitions (M and N)... One controller for this logical drive.

So, am I correct when I say It doesn't matter which partition my PF is on (in this case)?

 

[enigma99]

bran2235,
IMO...it should not matter.
It would only matter if you are trying to capture a full memory dump on your server...then it has to go on the "C" or system drive.

Hope that helps.

 

[bran2235]

Perfect- Thanks!

Bran2235

 

[Dublin73]

and set your page file start point (Initial Size) and end point ( Maximum Size) to be the same value. For example....

4095 <Minimum
4095 <Maximum

I've found that this reduces fragmentation of the page file