I have a SQL Server sandbox installation on my local computer. I have set the memory SQL Server instance can use to 1000 mb. When running an intensive operation, memory usage rises up to 1000 mb. When operation is over, SQL Server is still holding the memory. How to free this memory reservation?
3 Answers
Stop/start the service, nothing else will release the memory back to the OS.
Obviously not something you'd ever want to do with an operational server but perfectly reasonable for a local sandbox. With 3 different instances on my laptop, its the only viable way.
Edit following @Nick's comment.
As James noted, if it reserves more than the minimum you specify, it should in theory release it when it doesn't need it and there is memory pressure on the machine.
What's your definition of "doesn't need it"? Once the buffer pool has been filled, it isn't going to drop pages out until they become disfavoured by other pages being brought in. If you want the memory back immediately, as is the case for @jrara, you've got to stop/start.
answered Oct 11, 2011 at 11:50
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2Per Microsoft: "Under Windows Server 2003, SQL Server uses the memory notification API
QueryMemoryResourceNotificationto determine when the buffer pool may allocate memory and release memory." So if you're just worried about starving other apps that may need the memory more, SQL Server in theory will release memory it doesn't need when Windows tells it to. The only reason you should need to force a release by restarting the instance is if this mechanism is not working as designed or your min/max memory settings are incorrect. Oct 11, 2011 at 18:17 -
Another useful msdn article to clarify on this msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms178145.aspx. As long as SQL Server has reached it's min server memory setting it will release memory in response to low memory notifications from the OS. In my experience it has to be quite extreme for this to happen though.– georgebOct 11, 2011 at 19:01
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Precisely @georgeb_dba, it will not readily give it up. Ergo, stop/start and get back your laptops limited memory immediately. Oct 11, 2011 at 19:08
DBCC FREESYSTEMCACHE ('ALL')
DBCC FREESESSIONCACHE
DBCC FREEPROCCACHE
will free up the pool .
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms178529.aspx
Remarks
Executing DBCC FREESYSTEMCACHE clears the plan cache for the instance of SQL Server. Clearing the plan cache causes a recompilation of all subsequent execution plans and can cause a sudden, temporary decrease in query performance. For each cleared cachstore in the plan cache, the SQL Server error log will contain the following informational message: "SQL Server has encountered %d occurrence(s) of cachestore flush for the '%s' cachestore (part of plan cache) due to 'DBCC FREEPROCCACHE' or 'DBCC FREESYSTEMCACHE' operations." This message is logged every five minutes as long as the cache is flushed within that time interval.
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1pretty sure this won't actually reduce the amount of memory that SQL has reserved at the OS level– GregJan 3, 2018 at 22:23
It will give up the memory it is not using automatically as other apps try to commit it.
min server memoryandmax server memorysettings? Once SQL Server reserves the minimum you specify, it will never release it unless you change the setting or bounce the instance. As James noted, if it reserves more than the minimum you specify, it should in theory release it when it doesn't need it and there is memory pressure on the machine.