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What's going On With My Pagefile ... And The Rest Of My Server?

Wednesday, 16 May 2007 by Michel Roth

Here's something I think you should read. The Windows Server Performance Team (yeah, they actually have a team that's called like that) has created quite an excellent set of articles over time covering the different, hardcore, aspects that play a role on making up the (lack of) performance in Windows Servers. These are the kinds or articles that used to make you travel to the dark corners of the Internet where you would finally find some really, in-depth, useful information about performance on Windows Servers. Come to think of it, some of those places weren't that dark at all, they were the home(page) of Mark Russinovich and his buddies. Hang on, didn't Mark join (or get assimilated depending on your point or view) Microsoft recently? Perhaps he's secretly joined the occult of the Windows Server Performance Team?

No seriously, they do have a set of really cool articles I think you should really know about. This by the way goes to show that Terminal Server "people" really have to have a broad, in-depth knowledge of the Windows platform. Check out:

Windows Architecture - The Basics
This post focuses on understanding the Windows System Architecture itself. It reviews some basic Windows concepts and terms including a brief overview of the Windows API, Services and the difference between a Process and a Thread.

Windows Architecture - Registry 101
Registry unregistered in your Brain? Eat this.

Application Compatibility - Session 0 Isolation
The console session is now more. Well, not as you know it. Read this. It's in Vista already but it will also be in Longho.... erhm... Windows Server 2008.

What's going on with my Pagefile?
This post discusses how the pagefile works and why sometimes it "grows itself"...

Memory Management - Demystifying /3GB
A post on the infamous /3GB switch. If you have got this running on your Terminal Server boxes then you need to read this article yesterday.

Memory Management - Understanding Pool Resources
A discussion of Pool Resources and Pool Resource Depletion

Memory Management 101
This post this covers the basics of 32-bit Memory architecture and the difference between Kernel and User mode memory.

Network Stored PST files ... don't do it!
Interesting t read since you might need to article when you're troubleshooting a file servers that hosts the redirected folder of a zillion users...