PF usage very high 1

[maya14]

Our SBS 2003 SP1 server has 4 GB RAM and PF of 4 GB on C and 2 GB on separate drive. Server performance becomes slow after few days and PF is sitting on over 4 GB.
Actually it jumps to over 3 GB just after a reboot.
We have SQL and Exch on server, but have set SQL not to use more than 2 GB of memory but has seen SQL using more than allocated memory.
Is this a normal behaviour? I cant keep on rebooting to temporarily solve the problem.

 

[ShackDaddy]

The size of the page file doesn't matter as much as the amount of free space on C:

If you are running low on space on C:, chances are your page file is fragmented and when it grows, it's growing into fragmented space.

I would temporarily remove the page file from C: entirely and defrag C: several times after freeing up as much space as you can. The put the pagefile back on C: and hardcode the size so that both the minimum and maximum amount are both 4gb. That way it will build the whole PF in contiguous space and be less likely to fragment because it will not be shrinking and expanding all the time.

Hopefully your Exchange store isn't on C:.


Dave Shackelford
MCSE, CCNA, Microsoft MVP: Exchange
Shackelford Consulting

 

[58sniper]

In addition to Dave's excellent comments, you can put the PF on either it's own drive array, or a separate volume. Both will help with fragmentation issues.

A star for Dave's contribution.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP

 

[markdmac]

If you hope to be able to capture crash dump information, you will need to have SOME pageing file on the C drive. If you try to set the size on C to zero the system will tell you how much space it needs at a minimum for this purpose.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at

http://www.thespidersparlor.com/vbscript

Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.

 

[ShackDaddy]

Just to add a note: I've been at this for many years, and I've only heard a single rumor of someone actually utilizing a particular crash dump for debugging purpose. If the system started having regular problems and it looking like a crash dump would be helpful, you could always put a pagefile on C: after the fact to gather that info...

Dave Shackelford
MCSE, CCNA, Microsoft MVP: Exchange
Shackelford Consulting

 

[ShackDaddy]

Actually, Mark could lend some perspective here: working in PSS, how often were dumps actually examined?

Dave Shackelford
MCSE, CCNA, Microsoft MVP: Exchange
Shackelford Consulting

 

[58sniper]

I agree. Nothing like trying to send a huge dump file to MS!

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP

 

[markdmac]

PSS customers do upload these all the time and any company paying for a support incident could do the same, so it is all a matter fo how critical is the server and how desperate miht you get for support. Would you pony up and pay for MS support if all other avenues were exhausted?

We are typically only talking about 22MB up to 4GB for the minimum crash dump size.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at

http://www.thespidersparlor.com/vbscript

Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.