Thread: working set, virtual bytes and private bytes

Hello everyone,


I am using Windows Server 2003 Performance Counter tool to monitor the memory consumed by my process.

The interested terms are working set, virtual bytes and private bytes. My questions are,

1. If I want to watch the real physical memory consumed by current process, which one should I monitor?
2. If I want to watch the physical memory + swap file consumed by current process, which one should I monitor?
3. Any more clear description of what these terms mean? I read the help from Performance Counter tool, but still confused which one(s) identifies the real used physical memory, and which one(s) identifies the real used physical memory + page swap file, and which one(s) identifies the required memory (may not be really allocated either in physical memory or in swap page file).

If there are any related learning resource about the concepts, it is appreciated if you could recommend some. :-)


thanks in advance,
George

Thanks Mats,


I have read the link. My points are, please review whether correct or not.

1. Virtual memory contains reserved and committed parts. Reserved + Committed = Virtual bytes;

2. Real consumed RAM is the same as working set counter;

3. Committed memory is the same as RAM + Page file bytes, and page file bytes could be monitored by Page File Byte Counter.

4. There is no counter to monitor Reserved, but not committed bytes? We have to use formular,

Vistual bytes - page file bytes - working set?

Are my points 1-4 correct?

Originally Posted by matsp

Did you try google?

This is the first or second find on google:
http://technet2.microsoft.com/window....mspx?mfr=true

I think it explains most if not all of what you are asking.

--
Mats

regards,
George

Hello everyone,


I am using perfmon to watch the working set and virtual bytes, when I do a keyword search in SourceInsight.

I found the value of working set is larger than virtual bytes when do a search, I am confused how could working set larger than virtual bytes? I have this confusion is virtual bytes is all things -- reserved, committed memory -- which includes RAM (working set) and page swap file. So, virtual bytes should be always larger than working set.

BTW: I watched that private bytes is always lower than virtual bytes when do the search.


thanks in advance,
George