Bru Medishetty's SeekWell Blogs
Posts tagged configurations
Enable AWE Option in SQL Server
Nov 16th
In this article we will look at the steps to enable AWE Option in SQL Server. When enabled, the Advanced Windowing Extensions gives the ability to SQL Server to utilize Memory more than 4 GB. AWE enabling for SQL Server is valid in 32 Bit Systems only, on 64 bit systems AWE is not required to be enabled.
Steps to enable AWE
In the SSMS, right click on the SQL Instance in Object Explorer, and select properties. the following Properties Dialog Box is displayed.
In the left Pane of the Box, Select the Memory Page and Under Server Memory options check the box as shown in the picture below to use AWE to allocate memory. You can also specify a Minimum and Maximum Memory SQL Server can utilize on the machine. So that incase of Memory available to SQL Server it does not complete utilize and resulting in no or less memory to the Operating System and other application running on the Server.
Select OK in the Properties page. The change in the setting will not be effective upon restarting SQL Server.
Alternately, you can also enable using sp_configure. The following scripts provide the alternate steps to
perform to enable AWE option.
As always, I suggest referring other technical information before enabling AWE and other system settings that need to be enabled on the Server for this to be successful, such as enabling /3GB switch or /pae switch in Boot.ini etc.
–Bru Medishetty
Configuring the number of SQL Server Error Logs
Nov 4th
SQL Server Error Logs; Introduction
By default, SQL Server maintains a minimum of 6 Error Log Files and each time the SQL Server is restarted, the Current Active Log File is recycled and new one maintained.
The Error Log Files are stored in the “Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\LOG\” Directory.
Monitoring the Error Log Files is very important since it displays vital information regarding the Server. Some of them are security related login information, Logins info such as Failure Logins or Failure and Success Logins etc are written based on the option chosen for the Instance. Other information reported includes Changes in Database Settings, Database backup related information; both successful backups and failures are reported.
Apart from those mentioned above, SQL Error Logs contains the useful info when a SQL Server does not start and what’s causing the failure to start. There is a lot more information displayed in a SQL Server Error Log, a sample screen of what are the messages displayed upon SQL restart is displayed in the picture below.
Configuring Number of Error Logs
The default value of 6 Error Logs can be increased but cannot be decreases. To configure a higher number of Error Logs, follow the Steps as described below.
In the Object Explorer of SSMS, navigate to the Management Node and right click on SQL Server Logs and choose Configure as shown below.
A dialog box is displayed and the check box beside for Limiting the Number of error log files would be unchecked by default.
Check that and select the desired number of log files in the range between 6 and 99 and click the OK button (Not displayed in the Picture) to save the changes. A restart is not necessary for the changes to effective.
– Bru Medishetty
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