Windows Memory and Page File Question

MySQL & MariaDB Other MySQL® Questions
1

I have MySQL 5.0.45 installed on Windows 2003 Server Ent. Edition.

The Server has 8 GB of RAM, 2 Dual Core Xeons and several hard drives (including an external storage box).

I have MySQL setup with moderate memory configurations (512MB for the key buffer, 128M for the Query Cache, etc…)

Anyway, when MySQL starts, it is using 60 - 90 MB of physical memory while the VM Size is near 700 MB, and of course the page file increases by the difference between the VM size and physical memory in use.

My question is, is this normal behavior for MySQL? There is more than enough physical memory available for the process, yet it seems to want to use the page file.

Thank you.

2

This is not mysql, this is OS behavior and it is fine. I mean when mysql starts, it allocates key buffer, innodb buffers, etc, etc, but not uses all of allocated memory and OS definitely MUST account all this allocated memory as virtual memory (it is allocated, but not used). In linux it does not touch swap at all for such cases (afaik), but looks like windows allocates space in swap size for not used memory.

I’d not worry about in because it is idle memory and when mysql would like to use it, it would be allocated in RAM while now it could be used for FS/OS/etc caches and other applications.