Memory Leak.. Performance?

Hi All,
I'm a first time poster in here. Hopefully I'm in the right place for this
type of question. I'm having a problem with one of my SQL Server's and
maybe someone here can shead some light.
I'm running SQL Server version 8.00.760 which I think is SP3a even though
I'm not sure about the "a" part because it doesn't show in the versioning.
The Operating system is Windows 2000 Advance Server running SP4. There are
65 workstations in the company and aproximately 57-59 of them running
applications against the SQL Server at any one time.
There is one major database with about 75 tables in the SQL Server. The
biggest application that is installed on all workstation uses this database
primarily and has direct drivers that connect to the database. It does not
use ODBC. It is written in C but I can't tell you what kind of connections
are being made programatically. There is a smaller application that is
written in FoxPro that also reads this database using ODBC. This
application is programmed with a timer and is never turned off. It runs
every 20 minutes or so. It does a read of the main table however I can't be
sure if it's using an index or doing a table scan. Also there are about 4
employees that use ODBC and Access or Excel to query these database for
custom reporting that they do.
The problem is that the server has to be rebooted every night for it to work
properly the next day. If they go more then one day without rebooting they
start seeing slow downs in the applications. I am leaning towards a memory
leak either in the SQL Server or being caused by one of the applications.
The primary app they are running runs on other SQL Server in other companies
and there are not complaints of memory leaks with that app. The FoxPro app
using ODBC was explained to be a pretty simple program that shouldnt' be
causing this.
I read up on SP3 and how it fixes a memory leak to do with the ODBC drivers.
My question is, does it sound like I have everything installed that is
necessary from Microsoft so I can say that it's probably not SQL Server that
has the memory leak. Also what's the best way to actually determine there
is a true memory leak. I can't use the Total Memory used because according
to Microsoft this is naturally always increasing. Are there newere ODBC
drivers that I should be using other then those that come in Windows 2000?
Any help, suggestions, or commets on this problem is more then welcome.
Thanks for any information.
Best Regards,
Henry Sheldon
South Florida, USif you have a sqlserver memory leak
watch the perfmon counter
Object: process
Counter: virtual bytes
Instance: sqlservr
it should get real close to 2*1024*1024*1024 or 3GB
in /3GB mode for AS/EE
when you start having performance problems
it is also possible the SQL Server: Memory Manager SQL
Cache Memory will start to drop if ODBC is leaking address
space, leaving less address space for the buffer cache
>--Original Message--
>Hi All,
>I'm a first time poster in here. Hopefully I'm in the
right place for this
>type of question. I'm having a problem with one of my
SQL Server's and
>maybe someone here can shead some light.
>I'm running SQL Server version 8.00.760 which I think is
SP3a even though
>I'm not sure about the "a" part because it doesn't show
in the versioning.
>The Operating system is Windows 2000 Advance Server
running SP4. There are
>65 workstations in the company and aproximately 57-59 of
them running
>applications against the SQL Server at any one time.
>There is one major database with about 75 tables in the
SQL Server. The
>biggest application that is installed on all workstation
uses this database
>primarily and has direct drivers that connect to the
database. It does not
>use ODBC. It is written in C but I can't tell you what
kind of connections
>are being made programatically. There is a smaller
application that is
>written in FoxPro that also reads this database using
ODBC. This
>application is programmed with a timer and is never
turned off. It runs
>every 20 minutes or so. It does a read of the main table
however I can't be
>sure if it's using an index or doing a table scan. Also
there are about 4
>employees that use ODBC and Access or Excel to query
these database for
>custom reporting that they do.
>The problem is that the server has to be rebooted every
night for it to work
>properly the next day. If they go more then one day
without rebooting they
>start seeing slow downs in the applications. I am
leaning towards a memory
>leak either in the SQL Server or being caused by one of
the applications.
>The primary app they are running runs on other SQL Server
in other companies
>and there are not complaints of memory leaks with that
app. The FoxPro app
>using ODBC was explained to be a pretty simple program
that shouldnt' be
>causing this.
>I read up on SP3 and how it fixes a memory leak to do
with the ODBC drivers.
>My question is, does it sound like I have everything
installed that is
>necessary from Microsoft so I can say that it's probably
not SQL Server that
>has the memory leak. Also what's the best way to
actually determine there
>is a true memory leak. I can't use the Total Memory used
because according
>to Microsoft this is naturally always increasing. Are
there newere ODBC
>drivers that I should be using other then those that come
in Windows 2000?
>Any help, suggestions, or commets on this problem is more
then welcome.
>Thanks for any information.
>Best Regards,
>Henry Sheldon
>South Florida, US
>
>.
>