3GB Switch with Dell Optiplex

[grasshopper]

Hi folks i'm having a bit of a nightmare,

I've got 4 dell optiplex 745 desktops with only 2GB of ram as render nodes. As i understand it to fully utilise them i need to install the 3BG switch. Once i instsall the switch i can't get it boot properly. It won't recognise users or network, wants to re-register windows and looks like it's only displaying 8 colours or something.

Heres what my boot ini looks like but I'm sure this isn't the problem.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Pro" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP /3Gb" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /3GB

I also have a GX620 but it works fine. I have read on the dell site and here http://www.ironcad.com/support/commu...ml&f=12&t=4415 that others have had similar problems but know one has posted a resolution.

Has anyone here had this problem and most importantly has anyone resolved it. Please Pease Please

[Morbid Angel]

sorry to hear that. Sounds bad. Some motherboards are not compatable with 3gb switch. All I can suggest is to update bios. Could help, could not.

[jow]

Try adding ""/USERVA=2800" to the the 3GB line, this reduces the amount of ram that is used which should fix GFX problem (i had the same thing).
Not sure if it will help with the user/network problem though.

[dlparisi]

Just about to say the same thing, worked for me too. Here's how my line is listed in the boot.ini

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional 3GB(2800)" /3gb /USERVA=2800 /fastdetect

[jhiler]

The only thing I see that might be causing the problem is that the boot.ini is pointing to partition 2 for both lines. If your Windows XP is on partition 2 and another Op system is on partition 1, then I don't think this is an issue. If you are only running XP then maybe changing the (2) to (1) might work.

More technical people other than me would be able to tell you for sure, but I do remember we had the (2) in our partition line and it didn't work. Changed it to (1) and it seemed to work, but I don't have the same type of machine as you either.

[joconnell]

Dell have a st00pid small partition for some of their crap on partition 1 so you do indeed need to use partition 2 - changing to 1 will make the os unbootable.

On an xps (shudder) and the userva line works for me too.

[priad]

Here a my boot.ini for a dell:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professionnel" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professionnel 3Gb Switch" /3GB
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windo ws XP Professional x64 Edition" /noexecute /fastdetect
If this can help.

[grasshopper]

Thanks all, i'll go give your suggestions a try and let youz know the out come. fingers crossed

[grasshopper]

Ok i tried adding, 3gb /USERVA=2800 /fastdetect and it booted up fine. So i sent a render to it and it crashed at about 1.7GB RAM used, same as it did before. Well what should i take from that?
I only have 2GB of physical RAM, the system whilst idle only uses about 225-250MB so i was hoping to get upto maybe 1.9GB. Is that hoping for too much? Is that over extending?

Is there any other way of telling if the switch has worked or how much RAM is available. We will buy more ram IF the switch is working but pointless without it functioning.

I have turned on the bitmap pager in Viz settings :

Page Size 2048kb
Bitmap Size 2048kb
Memory Pool 1280000kb

From what i can figure that should force the Bitmap page on quickly and should give me an extra 1.5 GB i think. I'm not really sure on this stuff so would welcome any advise on these settings.

Also i have given the render nodes a 6GB Page file Settings:

Drive C space availabe 144400MB

Initial Size 3055
Maximum Size 6000

Again i am not sure about these settings so all advise welcome.

Under that it does say: (Dosen't make sense to me)
Total paging file size for all drives
Min allowed 2MB
Recommended 3055MB
Current allocated 3055MB

Am i right in thinking that you need the 3GB switch functioning to be able to access the additional RAM in the page file?

Anyway thanks for the help so far and hope someone can shed some light on this multitude of questions & settings.

Cheers Greg

[grasshopper]

We have taken 2GB of ram from one machine and stuck it in another to give us 4GB (I am pushing my maths to the limit here). It booted fine and using Process Exlorer it says i have 3GB of physical RAM and 2.8GB available so all looks good.

I sent a render that normally crashes and expected to see the ram go above 1.7GB but it didn't it just crashed at 1.7 with the usual "Task error: An unexpected exeception has occurred...blah,blah,blah".

Is this a RAM issue then? I have tried stripping out all geometery thats not in view or casting relevant shadows/reflections but it still crashes.

All i can think to try is to merge in my xrefs and hide the one small item using displacement so i'll go and do that.

Anyone any other ideas????

[tom182]

regarding your render issues I had that same issue until started to use Backburner, since then memory is not a problem. If you are using a lot of displacement seems to soak up the memory and caused bucket loads of crashes (well it did for me)

Tom

[grasshopper]

I am using backburner it is render nodes i am sending it to. I am not using a lot of displacement just one small map on a curved screen. Maybe i'll try a render with it disabled.

[DaForce]

if its crashing at 1.7 still then your /3gb switch is not setup properly.

Even with only 2GB of ram with the /3gb switch setup it wont crash it will just start using VM and going slower.
Adding more memory just keeps things in RAM longer. But the /3GB switch is still required to get past 1.7gb.

Post your boot.ini so we can check it.

[grasshopper]

Alright DaForce, Below is my boot.ini text, but i've got a confession to make. I have changed the wrong nodes boot ini file. I only noticed when i went to copy this text from it and relized it was wrong

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional(2800)" /3GB /USERVA=2800 /fastdetect

On a more positive note when i disable displacement the render completed, and when i reactivated it it completed. so Woo hoo.
This sounds great but i know from experience this was a flook as it has occationally rendered in the past.

I'm sure the problem is still ram related so if this 3GB switch DOES work i'll go buy some more RAM. If it doesn't who knows. I'll go try it now

Cheers for all your help

[DaForce]

hehe yeah I was pretty sure it just wasnt enabled

Depending on the displacement your using and what you need it for. Persoanlly I have found 2D to use a fair bit less memory, and if your using it on a flat surface set your precision to 1 and it will be even quick and less memory use.