'priority boost' server option

  • I just ran across an instance with the priority boost server option enabled. The Books Online article for the server option clearly states that they would prefer no one enable this option. Similarly there are many independent resources online recommending the same, one even showing a way to potentially crash the server by issuing a specific type of query that may require an overly high amount of CPU cycles. That said, the option is already enabled and the server has been otherwise free from issues directly attributable to this option being enabled (that I know of) since at least May. I was curious if anyone would be willing to share their experience using this option, or possibly having inherited an instance that had it enabled and then disabled it. Thanks.

    There are no special teachers of virtue, because virtue is taught by the whole community.
    --Plato

  • Hi,

    I've inherited priority boost a number of times (im a consultant) and every time the DBA/Techie that turned that option on

    did it without knowing what it does. "It sounded like a great feature".

    So far i've blindly followed Microsoft (and everyone else) instructions and just turned it off. Have not measured any impact afterwards.

    Never had a problem when turning it off (SQL 2005, SQL 2008 and 2008 R2).

  • I recommend you turn it off. On a server with nothing other than SQL it will provide no benefit as there's nothing to boost SQL's priority over and you run the small risk that with the higher priority SQL could take precedence over the OS and cause problems.

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • I just disabled it in dev and qa and restarted the sql server service and it will be disabled in production before the next scheduled maintenance that requires a service restart. Thanks for the feedback.

    There are no special teachers of virtue, because virtue is taught by the whole community.
    --Plato

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