Setting page file > 4gb on Win2k3

[TJ]

Hi

I want to increase the page file to 8gb on my Win2K3 SP2 box, but I
realise there is a 4gb under certain configurations.

I checked the following KB article:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;237740
and it states:

"to create a larger page file, you must load the Physical Address
Extension (PAE) kernel. In Windows Server 2003, PAE is automatically
enabled when the server is using Hot Add Memory devices.
Alternatively, you can force the PAE kernel by adding the /PAE switch
in the Boot.ini file"

I checked my boot.ini file and its contents is:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows Server 2003,
Standard" /noexecute=optout /fastdetect

My question is: Do I need to add the /PAE switch in order to have a
paging file greater than 4gb? If so, where in the boot.ini file do I
add the switch?

Also, how do I really know the available amount of Virtual Memory on
my server? Is there a Performance Counter I can watch?

thanks,
tj

 

[John John]

Re: Setting page file > 4gb on Win2k3

TJ wrote:

> Hi
>
> I want to increase the page file to 8gb on my Win2K3 SP2 box, but I
> realise there is a 4gb under certain configurations.
>
> I checked the following KB article:
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;237740
> and it states:
>
> "to create a larger page file, you must load the Physical Address
> Extension (PAE) kernel. In Windows Server 2003, PAE is automatically
> enabled when the server is using Hot Add Memory devices.
> Alternatively, you can force the PAE kernel by adding the /PAE switch
> in the Boot.ini file"
>
> I checked my boot.ini file and its contents is:
> [boot loader]
> timeout=30
> default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
> [operating systems]
> multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows Server 2003,
> Standard" /noexecute=optout /fastdetect
>
> My question is: Do I need to add the /PAE switch in order to have a
> paging file greater than 4gb? If so, where in the boot.ini file do I
> add the switch?

With SP2 and the DEP /noexecute switch I don't think that you need to
add the /PAE switch, PAE should already be enabled by DEP. Try to
create the file and see what happens. If you get a message telling you
that you cannot create a pagefile larger than 4,095MB then add the
switch to the Boot.ini file, just add it after the other switches,
leaving a space between switches:

..../noexecute=optout /fastdetect /PAE


> Also, how do I really know the available amount of Virtual Memory on
> my server? Is there a Performance Counter I can watch?

Well, the available Virtual Memory is the size of the Pagefile+Physical
RAM. What you probably want to look at is the Committed Virtual Memory,
look at the Commit Charge in the Task Manager's Performance Tab.

John

 

[TJ]

Re: Setting page file > 4gb on Win2k3

When I bumped it up to 8GB I did not recieve an error message. I have
checked the Commit Charge and it is 12GB, which is 8GB pagefile + 4GB
physical memory.

So it looks like it has work.

Thanks

 

[John John]

Re: Setting page file > 4gb on Win2k3

You're welcome.

John

TJ wrote:

> When I bumped it up to 8GB I did not recieve an error message. I have
> checked the Commit Charge and it is 12GB, which is 8GB pagefile + 4GB
> physical memory.
>
> So it looks like it has work.
>
> Thanks