Memory use while compacting database - error when usingswapfile???

[Michael Levin]

I'm trying to compact my database (about 2.3 Gigs), but it fails at the end
saying "not enough room on disk" (I have 100 Gigs free). I noticed a weird
thing though: using a shareware app which tracks memory usage, I noticed
that as it compacts, my RAM is slowly used up (I start with 2 Gigs). When it
gets to 0 (presumably swapping virtual memory on disk), the progress bar of
the Entourage compacting stops and sits there at 69900 out of 94024. After a
few minutes, it gives the no room error. What's going on? Does anyone know
anything about the relationship between memory use and database compaction,
and what I can do to persuade it to finish compacting?

 

[matt neuburg]

I'm trying to compact my database (about 2.3 Gigs), but it fails at the end
saying "not enough room on disk" (I have 100 Gigs free). I noticed a weird
thing though: using a shareware app which tracks memory usage, I noticed
that as it compacts, my RAM is slowly used up (I start with 2 Gigs). When it
gets to 0 (presumably swapping virtual memory on disk), the progress bar of
the Entourage compacting stops and sits there at 69900 out of 94024. After a
few minutes, it gives the no room error. What's going on? Does anyone know
anything about the relationship between memory use and database compaction,
and what I can do to persuade it to finish compacting?

It is not your physical RAM that limits memory; it's you physical RAM
plus room on disk. You say "presumably" swapping virtual memory, which
suggests that you don't know what's really going on. That doesn't speak
very well for this shareware app you're using. Instead, try my freeware
MemoryStick; it tells you not only how your RAM is being used but how
many swapfiles you've got and how much room they occupy, plus it tells
you whenever there is a pageout and whenever a new swapfile is
generated.

Now, with all that said, I suspect that memory is not involved at all.
There used to be a hard-wired Entourage limit where it can't work with a
database larger than 2 GB. But I thought the limit had been raised to 4
GB. You don't say what version you're using, but if you're using an old
version, you've simply hit that limit. m.

 

[Paul Berkowitz]

Now, with all that said, I suspect that memory is not involved at all.
There used to be a hard-wired Entourage limit where it can't work with a
database larger than 2 GB. But I thought the limit had been raised to 4
GB. You don't say what version you're using, but if you're using an old
version, you've simply hit that limit. m.

Michael's message source shows he was writing from

User-Agent: Microsoft-Entourage/10.1.4.030702.0

(This is not helpful when someone writes from a web-access, of course).

The database limit for Entourage 10.1.x is indeed 4 GB (10.1.0 on, if I
remember correctly. Mickey will know.)

For those in Entourage 2004, there is no size limit. There is an item limit
of approximately 1 million items, effectively.

--
Paul Berkowitz
MVP MacOffice
Entourage FAQ Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/faq/index.html>
AppleScripts for Entourage: <http://macscripter.net/scriptbuilders/>

Please "Reply To Newsgroup" to reply to this message. Emails will be
ignored.

PLEASE always state which version of Microsoft Office you are using -
**2004**, X or 2001. It's often impossible to answer your questions
otherwise.

 

[Michael Levin]

It is not your physical RAM that limits memory; it's you physical RAM
plus room on disk. You say "presumably" swapping virtual memory, which
suggests that you don't know what's really going on. That doesn't speak
very well for this shareware app you're using. Instead, try my freeware
MemoryStick; it tells you not only how your RAM is being used but how
many swapfiles you've got and how much room they occupy, plus it tells
you whenever there is a pageout and whenever a new swapfile is
generated.

cool - I just downloaded it. Thanks!

Now, with all that said, I suspect that memory is not involved at all.
There used to be a hard-wired Entourage limit where it can't work with a
database larger than 2 GB. But I thought the limit had been raised to 4
GB. You don't say what version you're using, but if you're using an old
version, you've simply hit that limit. m.

I've got 10.1.4; I wonder if that's it. I thought it was 4 Gig also...

Thanks,

Mike