SQL Server - Analysis Services and relational engine on same server

Asked By Handyman

17-Nov-09 12:54 PM

We have a server with Analysis Services 2005 SP2 and the SQL Server 2005 SP2
Enterprise.  AS processing is failing and performance counters point to
memory issues.  This version of AS can use at most 3GB memory.  We are
installing additional memory and planning to turn on AWE to see if the
relational engine will be able to take advantage of the extra memory and AS
will experience less memory pressure.  We are not able to go the 64 bit at
this time.

Is turning on AWE for the relational engine reasonable in this situation?
Is there a significant potential benefit to moving the relational databases
onto another server and leaving AS by itself on the server?
Has anybody been in a similar situation and been successful modifying AS
properties such as Memory \ TotalMemoryLimit?

Here are the specifics on our server:
OS: 32 bit Windows Server 2003 Standard SP1 (upgrading to Enterprise to
support more memory).
8 processors.
RAM: 4GB (installing additional memory for a total of 10GB).
/3GB switch on.

29-Nov-09 03:37 PM

I cannot see that turning on AWE for the relational engine can be a bad thing
in this situation - if you have the potential to separate the relational and
analysis servers then this would be the better option, IMO.  I personally
would not suggest messing with AS memory limits - perhaps on a 64-bit box I
might limit AS to xGB, but on a 32-bit box (unless your AS databases are
trivial) leaving AS to have a reasonable amount of memory has to be good.




__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4647 (20091129) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com