SQL Server taking up too much memory

[apollo11]

My SQL Server is taking around 1 gb of memory!
It is running 18 databases apart from the shipped dbs and populating the full-text search catalogs for some 5 databases. But still is it normal? When it is not running the repopulation of the full text catalogs it consumes around 700 MBs. I feel it's kind of high. Someone please advise.
Thanks

 

[tlbroadbent]

According to SQL BOL...

SQL Server 7 will use dynamically control memory usage so that about 5MB of memory is free all the time. SQL 2000 also dynamically configures and controls memory usage. It shrinks and grows buffer cache to maintain between 4 to 10 MB free memory.

So, it is not unusual for SQL Server to use lots of memory. You can control the maximum amount used with server settings though this isn't recommended except under certain cicumstances. See the following pages for more memory configuration info:

Server Memory Options

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/adminsql/ad_config_9zfy.asp

Effects of min and max server memory

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/architec/8_ar_sa_40vt.asp

Optimizing Server Performance Using Memory Configuration Options

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/optimsql/odp_tun_1a_6rn7.asp

Monitoring Memory Usage

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/adminsql/ad_perfmon_8x0l.asp

Terry L. Broadbent
Programming and Computing Resources

http://tlbroadbent.home.attbi.com/prog.htm

 

[apollo11]

I find it hard to believe how does SQL Server end up using 1.3 GBs of memory! Would reducing the number of databases have any effect on this? So does that mean that no matter how high the memory avail on the machine, SQL server will always end up using all except the last 4 - 10MB (from one of the articles)?

 

[fluteplr]

Its called a data cache, look it up.

 

[tlbroadbent]

SQL Server uses most memory for data cache as suggested by fluteplr. I suppose if all your data fit into cache and required less than 1GB, SQL may not use all the memory. SQL Server uses memory very efficiently. You want it to use a lot of memory for cache because that is one of the main performance factors.

I gave you some links that told how to set options for memory usage. You can restrict the amount of memory used by SQL Server if you feel that is necessary.

I recommend tht you do not run SQL Server on Servers that run other processes such as IIS. You should never install SQL on a Domain Controller. Dedicate servers to SQL Server. Then you don't need to worry about how much memory SQL Server uses. Terry L. Broadbent
Programming and Computing Resources

http://tlbroadbent.home.attbi.com/prog.htm