[dba-Tech] Petulant PC

Jim,

We all know what fragmentation does to file access, and if the swap file is
dynamically created, then it could have dozens or even hundreds of
fragments, just the luck of the draw.

The theory is that with a dedicated partition you can build a fixed size
swap file, which is built all at once, in a partition with no fragmentation
so the swap file is never fragmented.  If you must put your swap file on the
main C: drive, then DEFRAG the disk very well, and then create a fixed size
so that it never changes.  It will likely still be somewhat fragmented but
won't get more fragmented. 

Even if you allow the system to dynamically change the size of the swap
file, theoretically it adds / subtracts from the end of the file so it still
isn't fragmented.  However you will see some speed impact as it stops what
it is doing to "grow" the swap file.

That's the theory.  Does it work that way?  Yes.  Does it have a major
impact?  How do you tell?  Does it "waste space"?  Yea.  But with a 93gb
(real) hard disk, setting aside 4 gig or so for a dedicated swap partition
(for 2 gigs of real RAM) is not going to break the bank.

In fact I have read that you really should have a fixed size swap file on
EACH disk.  Whatever I was reading claimed that XP would use the swap file
on a given disk for swapping the data being used from that disk.  I have no
idea whether that is true or not and seems to be taking it to extremes.

John W. Colby
Colby Consulting
www.ColbyConsulting.com 
-----Original Message-----
From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Hale, Jim
Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 12:26 PM
To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues
Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] Petulant PC


<I like to run a dedicated swap file partition> What advantages have you
seen from this? Doesn't this "waste" space if the partition is too big?
Jim Hale


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