Virtual memory constraints in 32-bit Windows

Many server workloads can exhaust the 32-bit virtual address space in the Windows server operating systems. Machines configured with 2 GB or more of RAM installed are particularly vulnerable to this condition. This paper discusses the signs that indicate a machine is suffering from a virtual memory constraint. It also discusses options to keep this from happening, including (1) changing the way 32-bit virtual address spaces are partitioned into private and shared ranges, (2) settings that govern the size of system memory pools, (3) hardware that supports 36-bit addressing. Ultimately, running Windows on 64-bit processors is the safest and surest way to relieve the virtual memory constraints associated with 32-bit Windows. Introduction