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Pagefile size for 64-bit Windows 2003 Server


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Guest Sabo, Eric
Posted

I already checked out KB889654.

 

 

 

I really have no clue what I should make the minimum and maximum pagefile

size on a 64-bit server that has 32 GB of physical memory in the server.

Should I make the minimum 8 GB and the maximum 34 GB.

 

 

 

Any help would be appreciated.

  • Replies 7
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Posted

Re: Pagefile size for 64-bit Windows 2003 Server

 

I think Microsoft's guidance is:

 

"There is no specific recommendation for page file size.

Your requirements will be based on the hardware and software

that you use and the load that you put on the computer. To

monitor page file usage and requirements, run System

Monitor, and gather a log during typical usage conditions.

Focus on the following counters."

 

To me the key is to monitor your system and base your

decision on your system's workload. Maybe it will make more

sense if you read thru the KB again.

 

 

Sabo, Eric wrote:

> I already checked out KB889654.

>

>

>

> I really have no clue what I should make the minimum and maximum pagefile

> size on a 64-bit server that has 32 GB of physical memory in the server.

> Should I make the minimum 8 GB and the maximum 34 GB.

>

>

>

> Any help would be appreciated.

>

>

Guest Tony Sperling
Posted

Re: Pagefile size for 64-bit Windows 2003 Server

 

I couldn't say what size a server would require, you could try the Divide &

Rule principle - set the maximum size for a while, then halv it for a while,

then go half-way between the upper and the lower remains and you should

quickly find something that works well, finally up this figure some 10 - 20

% - but I'd suggest you do not use the min-max values, set both to the same

value and you'll prevent the system from ever having to re-size the file. (A

leeeengthy operation that could bog down your machine for longer than I

imagine you would dream it would?)

 

MS suggest 1,5 x size of installed RAM, but I doubt that all data that flows

through your memory would fit as 'pageable' data. More important, probably

is that you put it on the fastest drive you can lay your hands on

 

 

Tony. . .

 

 

"Sabo, Eric" <sabo_e@cup.edu> wrote in message

news:OtrZUZ$4HHA.1184@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> I already checked out KB889654.

>

>

>

> I really have no clue what I should make the minimum and maximum pagefile

> size on a 64-bit server that has 32 GB of physical memory in the server.

> Should I make the minimum 8 GB and the maximum 34 GB.

>

>

>

> Any help would be appreciated.

>

>

Posted

Re: Pagefile size for 64-bit Windows 2003 Server

 

The 1.5 is pretty much for desktop computers. The TB he

refers to suggests monitoring the workload and then has a

table to help calculate the desired page file for a server.

 

 

Tony Sperling wrote:

> I couldn't say what size a server would require, you could try the Divide &

> Rule principle - set the maximum size for a while, then halv it for a while,

> then go half-way between the upper and the lower remains and you should

> quickly find something that works well, finally up this figure some 10 - 20

> % - but I'd suggest you do not use the min-max values, set both to the same

> value and you'll prevent the system from ever having to re-size the file. (A

> leeeengthy operation that could bog down your machine for longer than I

> imagine you would dream it would?)

>

> MS suggest 1,5 x size of installed RAM, but I doubt that all data that flows

> through your memory would fit as 'pageable' data. More important, probably

> is that you put it on the fastest drive you can lay your hands on

>

>

> Tony. . .

>

>

> "Sabo, Eric" <sabo_e@cup.edu> wrote in message

> news:OtrZUZ$4HHA.1184@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>> I already checked out KB889654.

>>

>>

>>

>> I really have no clue what I should make the minimum and maximum pagefile

>> size on a 64-bit server that has 32 GB of physical memory in the server.

>> Should I make the minimum 8 GB and the maximum 34 GB.

>>

>>

>>

>> Any help would be appreciated.

>>

>>

>

>

Guest Sabo, Eric
Posted

Re: Pagefile size for 64-bit Windows 2003 Server

 

If I have 32 GB Physical memory, the server might never hit the pagefile

that much.

 

I am totally lost on this, never had a server with this much physical

memory.

 

 

"Theo" <theo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:OAqzmAD5HHA.5844@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> The 1.5 is pretty much for desktop computers. The TB he refers to

> suggests monitoring the workload and then has a table to help calculate

> the desired page file for a server.

>

>

> Tony Sperling wrote:

>> I couldn't say what size a server would require, you could try the Divide

>> &

>> Rule principle - set the maximum size for a while, then halv it for a

>> while,

>> then go half-way between the upper and the lower remains and you should

>> quickly find something that works well, finally up this figure some 10 -

>> 20

>> % - but I'd suggest you do not use the min-max values, set both to the

>> same

>> value and you'll prevent the system from ever having to re-size the file.

>> (A

>> leeeengthy operation that could bog down your machine for longer than I

>> imagine you would dream it would?)

>>

>> MS suggest 1,5 x size of installed RAM, but I doubt that all data that

>> flows

>> through your memory would fit as 'pageable' data. More important,

>> probably

>> is that you put it on the fastest drive you can lay your hands on

>>

>>

>> Tony. . .

>>

>>

>> "Sabo, Eric" <sabo_e@cup.edu> wrote in message

>> news:OtrZUZ$4HHA.1184@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>>> I already checked out KB889654.

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> I really have no clue what I should make the minimum and maximum

>>> pagefile

>>> size on a 64-bit server that has 32 GB of physical memory in the

>>> server.

>>> Should I make the minimum 8 GB and the maximum 34 GB.

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> Any help would be appreciated.

>>>

>>>

>>

Guest Tony Sperling
Posted

Re: Pagefile size for 64-bit Windows 2003 Server

 

If you are running a Server OS, I assume you have tools to set up monitoring

as Theo suggests. Beyond this, isn't the OS setting a default size? That

would usually not be far off the mark, I would certainly take that as a good

place to start. You wouldn't risk much by setting experimental values, go

beyond/below your needs and the performance should suffer, but depending on

your useage and the amount of data, you might need to tweak the default

substantially. With a server, I don't think you will get any

recommendations - it would be dependent on the workload.

 

In a situation when you cannot tell if your performance is good or bad, it's

probably close to O.K. and finding the optimal size might not show as any

significant performance boost - tweaking is for when you know you are

unhappy and something probably is wrong.

 

Anytime when we are unsure, it is vastly more important to get it up and

running, any troubles are certain to surface sooner or later.

 

 

Tony. . .

 

 

 

"Sabo, Eric" <sabo_e@cup.edu> wrote in message

news:Os8aILF5HHA.2752@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> If I have 32 GB Physical memory, the server might never hit the pagefile

> that much.

>

> I am totally lost on this, never had a server with this much physical

> memory.

>

>

> "Theo" <theo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:OAqzmAD5HHA.5844@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> > The 1.5 is pretty much for desktop computers. The TB he refers to

> > suggests monitoring the workload and then has a table to help calculate

> > the desired page file for a server.

> >

> >

> > Tony Sperling wrote:

> >> I couldn't say what size a server would require, you could try the

Divide

> >> &

> >> Rule principle - set the maximum size for a while, then halv it for a

> >> while,

> >> then go half-way between the upper and the lower remains and you should

> >> quickly find something that works well, finally up this figure some

10 -

> >> 20

> >> % - but I'd suggest you do not use the min-max values, set both to the

> >> same

> >> value and you'll prevent the system from ever having to re-size the

file.

> >> (A

> >> leeeengthy operation that could bog down your machine for longer than I

> >> imagine you would dream it would?)

> >>

> >> MS suggest 1,5 x size of installed RAM, but I doubt that all data that

> >> flows

> >> through your memory would fit as 'pageable' data. More important,

> >> probably

> >> is that you put it on the fastest drive you can lay your hands on

> >>

> >>

> >> Tony. . .

> >>

> >>

> >> "Sabo, Eric" <sabo_e@cup.edu> wrote in message

> >> news:OtrZUZ$4HHA.1184@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> >>> I already checked out KB889654.

> >>>

> >>>

> >>>

> >>> I really have no clue what I should make the minimum and maximum

> >>> pagefile

> >>> size on a 64-bit server that has 32 GB of physical memory in the

> >>> server.

> >>> Should I make the minimum 8 GB and the maximum 34 GB.

> >>>

> >>>

> >>>

> >>> Any help would be appreciated.

> >>>

> >>>

> >>

>

Guest Tony Sperling
Posted

Re: Pagefile size for 64-bit Windows 2003 Server

 

Yes, I agree. Monitoring must be the way to go if you have too know. The

Resource Kit is geared to do this, but it isn't 64bit so you would have to

rely on the OS standard utilities. With a Server OS - I only assume it can

be done regardless?

 

I was working with a guy once - his standard reply to customers was: "If you

have to ask, you don't want to know!"

 

I always silently thought it was alright to tell them to experiment and find

out them selves. At least when dealing with harmless trivia.

 

 

Tony. . .

 

 

"Theo" <theo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:OAqzmAD5HHA.5844@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> The 1.5 is pretty much for desktop computers. The TB he

> refers to suggests monitoring the workload and then has a

> table to help calculate the desired page file for a server.

>

>

Posted

Re: Pagefile size for 64-bit Windows 2003 Server

 

I think the KB is a pretty good guide on how to calculate

your page file. Try running the System Monitor as the

article suggests.

 

Extract from the KB889654:

 

"How to calculate page file size

Use one or more of the following methods to help you

calculate page file size.

Method 1: Use performance logs to understand the paging

activity on your computer

1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then

click Performance.

2. Expand Performance Logs and Alerts, click Counter Logs,

right-click the blank space in the right-pane, and then

click New Log Settings.

3. In the Name box, type a name for the log, and then click OK.

4. On the General tab, click Add Counters.

5. Click Use local computer counters.

6. In the Performance object list, click Paging File.

7. Click Select counters from list, click % Usage, and then

click Add.

8. In the Performance object list, click Memory.

9. In Select counters from list, click Available Bytes, and

then click Add.

10. In Select counters from list, click Pages Input/sec,

click Add, and then click Close.

11. Click OK.

Use the log that you collect during typical computer use to

understand the paging activity on your computer. Then,

adjust the page file size accordingly.

 

 

Method 2: Use the Page File Bytes Peak counter to calculate

page file size

1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then

click Performance.

2. Click System Monitor.

3. In the right pane, click + (the Add button).

4. Click Use local computer counters.

5. In the Performance object list, click Process.

6. Click Select counters from list, click Page File Bytes

Peak, click Add, and then click Close.

7. Let the counter run during typical use of your computer.

8. Note the maximum value for the Page File Bytes Peak

counter, and then multiply the value by 70. The sum of the

equation is the size to set for your page file.

 

Method 3: Calculate the minimum and maximum page file size

To determine the approximate minimum page file that is

required by your system, calculate the sum of peak private

bytes that are used by each process on the system. Then,

subtract the amount of memory on the system.

 

To determine the approximate maximum page file space that is

required for your system, calculate the sum of peak private

bytes that are used by each process on the system. Then, add

a margin of additional space. Do not subtract the amount of

memory on the system. The size of the additional margin can

be adjusted based on your confidence in the snapshot data

that is used to estimate page file requirements.

 

Note This estimate is accurate only if the snapshot of data

that is used to make the calculations is accurate."

 

 

Sabo, Eric wrote:

> If I have 32 GB Physical memory, the server might never hit the pagefile

> that much.

>

> I am totally lost on this, never had a server with this much physical

> memory.

>

>

> "Theo" <theo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:OAqzmAD5HHA.5844@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>> The 1.5 is pretty much for desktop computers. The TB he refers to

>> suggests monitoring the workload and then has a table to help calculate

>> the desired page file for a server.

>>

>>

>> Tony Sperling wrote:

>>> I couldn't say what size a server would require, you could try the Divide

>>> &

>>> Rule principle - set the maximum size for a while, then halv it for a

>>> while,

>>> then go half-way between the upper and the lower remains and you should

>>> quickly find something that works well, finally up this figure some 10 -

>>> 20

>>> % - but I'd suggest you do not use the min-max values, set both to the

>>> same

>>> value and you'll prevent the system from ever having to re-size the file.

>>> (A

>>> leeeengthy operation that could bog down your machine for longer than I

>>> imagine you would dream it would?)

>>>

>>> MS suggest 1,5 x size of installed RAM, but I doubt that all data that

>>> flows

>>> through your memory would fit as 'pageable' data. More important,

>>> probably

>>> is that you put it on the fastest drive you can lay your hands on

>>>

>>>

>>> Tony. . .

>>>

>>>

>>> "Sabo, Eric" <sabo_e@cup.edu> wrote in message

>>> news:OtrZUZ$4HHA.1184@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>>>> I already checked out KB889654.

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>

>>>> I really have no clue what I should make the minimum and maximum

>>>> pagefile

>>>> size on a 64-bit server that has 32 GB of physical memory in the

>>>> server.

>>>> Should I make the minimum 8 GB and the maximum 34 GB.

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>

>>>> Any help would be appreciated.

>>>>

>>>>

>


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