SQL2005 32bit Standard AWE switch?

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SQL2005 32bit Standard AWE switch?

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Shawn Melton SSC-Insane Points: 24685 More actions · Answer 1

Unless I'm mistaken when you purchase the license for Window Server and SQL Server they are not dependent upon 32-bit or 64-bit. You are allowed to use either architecture. You might want to check with the reseller you purchased it from.

Shawn Melton
Twitter: @wsmelton
Blog: wsmelton.github.com
Github: wsmelton

Michael Valentine Jones SSC Guru Points: 64818 More actions · Answer 2

You can only access more than 4 GB of memory under Windows 32-bit if you have Windows Enterprise Edition.

ashevis Mr or Mrs. 500 Points: 510 More actions · Answer 3

Thanks Michael and Shawn,

Michael, isn't the point of the AWE switch in SQL to allow it to access memory beyond 4gb when the OS is restricted to 4gb?

Shawn, I believe you are right about the licensing for 32/64 bit software, but I can't bring down our db server to reinstall everything under 64bit architecture

Shawn Melton SSC-Insane Points: 24685 More actions · Answer 4

32-bit architecture address space is limited to no more than 4GB. If you have a server with 8GB, it will never use more than 4GB of it. That is the limit.

This KB has a pretty good description on the AWE and PAE switches

Shawn Melton
Twitter: @wsmelton
Blog: wsmelton.github.com
Github: wsmelton

Michael Valentine Jones SSC Guru Points: 64818 More actions · Answer 5

ashevis (4/15/2011)
...Michael, isn't the point of the AWE switch in SQL to allow it to access memory beyond 4gb when the OS is restricted to 4gb?...

From SQL Server 2005 Books Online:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190673(v=SQL.90).aspx

"Enabling AWE Memory for SQL Server

...

The physical memory accessible by AWE depends on which operating system you are using. The following list provides the maximum physical memory accessible by each Windows Server 2003 operating system at the time of writing.

Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition supports physical memory up to 4 GB.

Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition supports physical memory up to 32 GB.

Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition supports physical memory up to 64 GB."

ashevis Mr or Mrs. 500 Points: 510 More actions · Answer 6

Thanks again to you both, I guess that I'm stuck w/4gb till I upgrade one way or another.