Busy having a debate with MySQL support about the memory limit for processes under Linux 2.6. We have a shiny new database with 6GB RAM, and the question is how useful is this with a 32-bit processor.
As far as I know, processes on a 2.6 kernel can address 4GB. (there’s a reference on kerneltrap).
MySQL support have told me there’s a 2.5GB limit. This difference would explain some of the problems with our database server! We’ve created a 3GB process on that same machine, and can remember MySQL going up well beyond 2.5GB in the initial imports. so so far I’m not convinced of their advice.
Some references for others bumbling across this page:
- How much memory can an individual process address from Linux SA
- High Memory in the Linux Kernel from Kerneltrap
- The future of embedded computing from Linux Journal
- Kernel comparison: Improved memory management in the 2.6 kernel from IBM
- How to avoid 2GB memory limit of JVM in Linux from TheServerSide.com
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Overcoming MySQL’s 4GB limit from Jeremy Zawodny (nothing to do with my problem, but rather to do with MySQL’s file size limit. Seeing as someone has already confused the two I thought I’d helpfully point any lost souls off to the right place.)