Memory question for the gurus

Hi Guys, first time posting here. My boss has a Lotus Notes application accessing SQL server with about 60 users. I have a custom VB app with 40+ users. Our SQL Server has
2 gigabyte of memory on it. Is this too low? My boss is expecting to have 300+ users on his Notes app when he rolls it out to our other branches. What would be the ideal amount of memory for 300+ users?Depends: will the 300+ users access the data simultaneously? 24/7? How much data will they transfer? How big is the database, and how is it used by the application? Are there any agreements with users concerning availablility/performance? What's acceptable to them?|||My boss has a Lotus Notes application accessing SQL server with about 60 users.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

In the name of GOD WHY?

Got a lot of left over Notus Lotes developers who haven't made the jump?

Notestrix? Notespump? How are they talking to SQL Server?

OH, the volume of users and the amount of memory isn't the issue.

How big is the database?|||Hi Guys,

Im not sure if you guys are referring to the size of the database file. Anyway the database that Notes is accessing is 13 gigabytes as of today and the database my VB app is using is 200 mb. I just ran performance monitor on the server and it says 90 MB of memory available and over 440 pages fault per second. It looks like SQL is taking up over 1.6 gig of memory. Yikes!|||You can perform an assessment using PERFMON while sQL server is in working state, which gives you full information.|||Lotus Notues and a 13gig database...hmmmm

Is he calling stored procedures or is everything in the application layer?

I'd be curious as to how it performs...

Oh, and SQL will grab as much memory as it needs...that's a good thing...

This is a dedicated SQL Server box...right?|||Yeah, it is a dedicated server box. We are using Lotus Notes through Citrix and I believe we have about 4 servers dedicated to Lotus Notes. His application is running fine so far but Im concern about the available memory on our SQL server (and espcecially since it started crashing and rebooting about once a week). The reason the SQL database Notes is accessing is fairly big is because of document archiving. I have a custom APP that produces customer statements and invoices in postcript format that we send to our customers. These documents then get archived each night in SQL server. The Notes App allows our customer reps to quickly find and view these documents. We send thousands and thousands of documents each month so this database is going to grow quickly. What do you guys think? Throw more memory in there? Im not a SQL DBA so I have no idea if 2 gig of memory is enough to handle 100+ users and like I said, it will be 300+ soon.|||There is no such thing as too much memory for MS-SQL! You can safely get that notion out of your head ;)

A lot depends on the architecture, how the Notes users are accessing the database, how your VB app works, etc.

Being the wild man that I am, I usually start my MS-SQL boxes at 8 Gb, then let somebody try to talk me down. I almost always manage to convince them there is no point in saving a few hundred dollars on RAM that would save them at least 10 hours of overtime each month.

-PatP|||Thanks Pat. I've convinced my boss to order more memory for the server. I'll see if I can get 8 gigs like you mentioned :D|||See...the thing of it is, is that Pat didn't ask you what version you're running or what the OS is...

This is kind of important|||See...the thing of it is, is that Pat didn't ask you what version you're running or what the OS is...

This is kind of important
Is that because Pat has a business on the side building bargain basement desktops?
;)|||See...the thing of it is, is that Pat didn't ask you what version you're running or what the OS is...

This is kind of importantAnd not only that, it also depends on whether the box will take 8GB or not. It's nice to sit there and say: "Yeah, memory is cheap!" Sure, what about a box itself? Maybe you can afford only the one expandable to 6GB? Where are you gonna put the other 2? In your ear?|||Maybe you can afford only the one expandable to 6GB? Where are you gonna put the other 2? In your ear?

Dude! that is so funny! "In his ear"?! .. I almost made a mess with the cup of cofee on my desk.|||See...the thing of it is, is that Pat didn't ask you what version you're running or what the OS is...

This is kind of importantGood point... Sometimes I miss details like that.

If jmondia is running NT 3.51 or earlier, then 8 Gb is a problem, since the OS has problems addressing that much memory. The same is true if they are running SQL 6.5 or earlier, although there used to be work-arounds for those problems from Micrsoft Professional Support Services.

I assumed that anyone planning to run 300+ simultaneous users would be running on server grade hardware (which by my definition has to support at least 8 Gb of RAM), with at least Windows 2000 and SQL 7. I shouldn't have taken those things for granted. Based on jmondia's response, it looks like I was safe making those assumptions though.

-PatP|||Man, I wish you were around when we were running our HMO on a 4-way with 4GB maxed out with 6.5 and NT (4.0 though, 3.51 wouldn't have taken it) PSS participated in setting up this server, all the specs were met...where did you get this idea that PSS would come up with a workaround for 6.5 to recognize even 2/3 of 8GB of RAM? Man, my veins (as Lindman once noticed) are about to pop even imagining this! We would have been all set with 8GB! Dreaming again?|||Dreaming again?A good TAM helps a lot.

-PatP