Enabling AWE

Hi,
Our server has Windows 2003 EE with 3.5 GB RAM. I want to configure SQL
Server 2005 EE to be able to use whole of memory if required.
I have already used "awe enabled" option with sp_configure to change the run
value to 1, but it seems other parameters must be configured on OS.
What's the easiest way to do it?
Many thanks in advance,
Leila
At the OS level, you have to set the /PAE switch in BOOT.INI. That said,
your machine doesn't really have enough RAM. You don't want to give 100% of
the RAM to SQL Server, since the OS needs memory, too. RAM is cheap. Buy
some before you turn on AWE.
Tom
Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS
SQL Server MVP
Toronto, ON Canada
..
"Leila" <Leilas@.hotpop.com> wrote in message
news:O%23xDOXzBHHA.4348@.TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
Hi,
Our server has Windows 2003 EE with 3.5 GB RAM. I want to configure SQL
Server 2005 EE to be able to use whole of memory if required.
I have already used "awe enabled" option with sp_configure to change the run
value to 1, but it seems other parameters must be configured on OS.
What's the easiest way to do it?
Many thanks in advance,
Leila
|||That is NOT correct. AWE can be enabled without PAE. Using PAE allows the OS
to address more than 4 GB of memory. AWE is an API set that applications
(like SQL) can leverage to reserve chunks of memory for manipulation.
Since he only has 3.5 GB of memory, PAE would get him nothing. Also, SQL
will never be able to reserve all of the memory. The OS needs some, other
services, etc., will also use some memory.
"Tom Moreau" wrote:

> At the OS level, you have to set the /PAE switch in BOOT.INI. That said,
> your machine doesn't really have enough RAM. You don't want to give 100% of
> the RAM to SQL Server, since the OS needs memory, too. RAM is cheap. Buy
> some before you turn on AWE.
> --
> Tom
> ----
> Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS
> SQL Server MVP
> Toronto, ON Canada
> ..
> "Leila" <Leilas@.hotpop.com> wrote in message
> news:O%23xDOXzBHHA.4348@.TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
> Our server has Windows 2003 EE with 3.5 GB RAM. I want to configure SQL
> Server 2005 EE to be able to use whole of memory if required.
> I have already used "awe enabled" option with sp_configure to change the run
> value to 1, but it seems other parameters must be configured on OS.
> What's the easiest way to do it?
> Many thanks in advance,
> Leila
>
>
|||Does your boot.ini have the /3GB switch? If not, the operating system will
not be able to allocate all of your memory.
Also, I highly recommend NOT allowing SQL Server to consume *all* of the
memory. The OS needs some, too.
A
"Leila" <Leilas@.hotpop.com> wrote in message
news:O%23xDOXzBHHA.4348@.TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
> Our server has Windows 2003 EE with 3.5 GB RAM. I want to configure SQL
> Server 2005 EE to be able to use whole of memory if required.
> I have already used "awe enabled" option with sp_configure to change the
> run value to 1, but it seems other parameters must be configured on OS.
> What's the easiest way to do it?
> Many thanks in advance,
> Leila
>
|||You would be best served, UNTIL you get more memory, to use the /3GB switch.
The /3GB switch gives SQL Server up to 3 GB of memory. The OS requires
memory, so leaving the remaining 512 MB for the OS seems about right.
Arnie Rowland, Ph.D.
Westwood Consulting, Inc
Most good judgment comes from experience.
Most experience comes from bad judgment.
- Anonymous
You can't help someone get up a hill without getting a little closer to the
top yourself.
- H. Norman Schwarzkopf
"Leila" <Leilas@.hotpop.com> wrote in message
news:O%23xDOXzBHHA.4348@.TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
> Our server has Windows 2003 EE with 3.5 GB RAM. I want to configure SQL
> Server 2005 EE to be able to use whole of memory if required.
> I have already used "awe enabled" option with sp_configure to change the
> run value to 1, but it seems other parameters must be configured on OS.
> What's the easiest way to do it?
> Many thanks in advance,
> Leila
>
|||You would be best served, UNTIL you get more memory, to use the /3GB switch.
The /3GB switch gives SQL Server up to 3 GB of memory. The OS requires
memory, so leaving the remaining 512 MB for the OS seems about right.
Arnie Rowland, Ph.D.
Westwood Consulting, Inc
Most good judgment comes from experience.
Most experience comes from bad judgment.
- Anonymous
You can't help someone get up a hill without getting a little closer to the
top yourself.
- H. Norman Schwarzkopf
"Leila" <Leilas@.hotpop.com> wrote in message
news:O%23xDOXzBHHA.4348@.TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
> Our server has Windows 2003 EE with 3.5 GB RAM. I want to configure SQL
> Server 2005 EE to be able to use whole of memory if required.
> I have already used "awe enabled" option with sp_configure to change the
> run value to 1, but it seems other parameters must be configured on OS.
> What's the easiest way to do it?
> Many thanks in advance,
> Leila
>
|||Thanks every body!
What's the exact parameter that I must add to boot.ini?
"Aaron Bertrand [SQL Server MVP]" <ten.xoc@.dnartreb.noraa> wrote in message
news:OAryIzzBHHA.4892@.TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Does your boot.ini have the /3GB switch? If not, the operating system
> will not be able to allocate all of your memory.
> Also, I highly recommend NOT allowing SQL Server to consume *all* of the
> memory. The OS needs some, too.
> A
>
>
> "Leila" <Leilas@.hotpop.com> wrote in message
> news:O%23xDOXzBHHA.4348@.TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>
|||/3GB
Arnie Rowland, Ph.D.
Westwood Consulting, Inc
Most good judgment comes from experience.
Most experience comes from bad judgment.
- Anonymous
You can't help someone get up a hill without getting a little closer to the
top yourself.
- H. Norman Schwarzkopf
"Leila" <Leilas@.hotpop.com> wrote in message
news:eH4iWF1BHHA.4992@.TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Thanks every body!
> What's the exact parameter that I must add to boot.ini?
>
> "Aaron Bertrand [SQL Server MVP]" <ten.xoc@.dnartreb.noraa> wrote in
> message news:OAryIzzBHHA.4892@.TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>
|||Hi All,
I need some help here:
We have Windows 2000 Advanced Server sp4
SQL Server 2000 EE sp4 plus HOT Fix (KB899761)
Boot.ini filoe has /3GB switch
Total Memory Available = 8.0 GB
SQL Server configuration as follow:
min memory per query (KB) = 2048
max server memory (MB) = 5097
The SQL Server service account seems to have all appropriate permisison
(lock memory etc.)
But it seems that SQL Server can only allocate approx 2.4 GB of memory
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Kamal
"Tom Moreau" wrote:

> At the OS level, you have to set the /PAE switch in BOOT.INI. That said,
> your machine doesn't really have enough RAM. You don't want to give 100% of
> the RAM to SQL Server, since the OS needs memory, too. RAM is cheap. Buy
> some before you turn on AWE.
> --
> Tom
> ----
> Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS
> SQL Server MVP
> Toronto, ON Canada
> ..
> "Leila" <Leilas@.hotpop.com> wrote in message
> news:O%23xDOXzBHHA.4348@.TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
> Our server has Windows 2003 EE with 3.5 GB RAM. I want to configure SQL
> Server 2005 EE to be able to use whole of memory if required.
> I have already used "awe enabled" option with sp_configure to change the run
> value to 1, but it seems other parameters must be configured on OS.
> What's the easiest way to do it?
> Many thanks in advance,
> Leila
>
>
|||Run sp_configure to enable AWE, and set the max server memory. be sure to
leave some memory for the OS. Also, set the /PAE switch in BOOT.INI and
reboot.
Tom
Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS
SQL Server MVP
Toronto, ON Canada
..
"Kamal Hassan" <KamalHassan@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:92951B59-BB92-47B3-A72F-C544D8DF01C1@.microsoft.com...
Hi All,
I need some help here:
We have Windows 2000 Advanced Server sp4
SQL Server 2000 EE sp4 plus HOT Fix (KB899761)
Boot.ini filoe has /3GB switch
Total Memory Available = 8.0 GB
SQL Server configuration as follow:
min memory per query (KB) = 2048
max server memory (MB) = 5097
The SQL Server service account seems to have all appropriate permisison
(lock memory etc.)
But it seems that SQL Server can only allocate approx 2.4 GB of memory
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Kamal
"Tom Moreau" wrote:

> At the OS level, you have to set the /PAE switch in BOOT.INI. That said,
> your machine doesn't really have enough RAM. You don't want to give 100%
> of
> the RAM to SQL Server, since the OS needs memory, too. RAM is cheap. Buy
> some before you turn on AWE.
> --
> Tom
> ----
> Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA, MCITP, MCTS
> SQL Server MVP
> Toronto, ON Canada
> ..
> "Leila" <Leilas@.hotpop.com> wrote in message
> news:O%23xDOXzBHHA.4348@.TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
> Our server has Windows 2003 EE with 3.5 GB RAM. I want to configure SQL
> Server 2005 EE to be able to use whole of memory if required.
> I have already used "awe enabled" option with sp_configure to change the
> run
> value to 1, but it seems other parameters must be configured on OS.
> What's the easiest way to do it?
> Many thanks in advance,
> Leila
>
>