We have a VM Guest configured as follows: dedicated Sql 2008 Sp3 (x64) running on Windows 2008 R2 x64, 32GB RAM. Per Task Manager (if it is to be believed) the sql server process has allocated 20GB of RAM. The Networking Manager says that sql grabs every bit of memory you give it. He has a hard time believing that sql really needs that much memory.
a. I pointed out that we can cap the (buffer pool) memory and that sql, while reserving it, will not use the RAM unless it is actually needed. (In other words, that 20GB was needed at one point in time).
b. I also pointed out that sql is not too quick to return the memory even it is no longer needed.
c. I look for hard page faults on the server as an initial indication that RAM may be taxed.
d. I told him there is no easy way to estimate the amount of RAM that a given sql server needs
In your opinion, are the statements a-d relatively factual or way off base?
TIA,
edm2
P.S. Recently he indicated that if we raise the Sql RAM limit on a box then Sql will take it all and, despite, what is commonly said, large amounts of RAM costs lots of money. Let us say this matter has been a point of contention between us for some time and we are still on opposite sides of the railroad track.