From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Aug 24 20:38:02 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D226216A41B for ; Fri, 24 Aug 2007 20:38:02 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from derek@computinginnovations.com) Received: from betty.computinginnovations.com (mail.computinginnovations.com [64.81.227.250]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8160913C468 for ; Fri, 24 Aug 2007 20:38:02 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from derek@computinginnovations.com) Received: from p28.computinginnovations.com (dhcp-10-20-30-100.computinginnovations.com [10.20.30.100]) (authenticated bits=0) by betty.computinginnovations.com (8.13.8/8.12.11) with ESMTP id l7OKbe2W018179; Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:37:42 -0500 (CDT) Message-Id: <6.0.0.22.2.20070824153203.0266aa40@mail.computinginnovations.com> X-Sender: derek@mail.computinginnovations.com X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 6.0.0.22 Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:36:56 -0500 To: Peter Schuller , freebsd-questions@freebsd.org From: Derek Ragona In-Reply-To: <200708242148.36791.peter.schuller@infidyne.com> References: <200708242148.36791.peter.schuller@infidyne.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 X-ComputingInnovations-MailScanner-Information: Please contact the ISP for more information X-ComputingInnovations-MailScanner: Found to be clean X-ComputingInnovations-MailScanner-From: derek@computinginnovations.com X-Spam-Status: No Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.5 Cc: Subject: Re: Dell 2950: 4GB not seen (amd64; works on other 2950:s) X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2007 20:38:02 -0000 At 02:48 PM 8/24/2007, Peter Schuller wrote: >Hello, > >I have a Dell 2950 where my 7-CURRENT amd64 FreeBSD does not see all visible >memory. It has 4 GB of physical RAM. dmesg on boot includes: > >usable memory = 4280811520 (4082 MB) >avail memory = 4117716992 (3926 MB) > >Yet summing memories visible in top yields ~ 2100 MB. > >Of note is that I have 6.2/amd64 on several other 2950:s with 4GB of RAM >which >say on boot: > >real memory = 5100273664 (4864 MB) >avail memory = 4122443776 (3931 MB) > >But has all 4 GB visible in top. > >Unfortunately I failed to notice this until after the machine has begun being >used, so I have limited possibilities for rebooting/mucking with BIOS >settings. I was hoping someone could suggest something right off the bat. > >In addition on the problem machine the following sysctl values are present: > >hw.physmem: 4280811520 >hw.usermem: 3628220416 >hw.realmem: 5100273664 >hw.cbb.start_memory: 2281701376 >hw.pci.host_mem_start: 2147483648 > >With hw.usermem being slightly higher (but not 2 GB higher) on the 6.2 system >without a problem: > >hw.physmem: 4283285504 >hw.usermem: 3998797824 >hw.realmem: 5100273664 >hw.cbb.start_memory: 2281701376 >hw.pci.host_mem_start: 2147483648 > >I was under the impression that memory visibility issues were a thing of the >past on amd64. Any insight? > >Thanks! > >-- >/ Peter Schuller You need to look closely at the hardware configuration for these servers and their motherboards. Often some memory is reserved for things like onboard video, etc. You can free up that video memory by adding a separate video card, but necessarily other memory that may be used by the motherboard. Unfortunately with dell systems same model's don't necessarily mean same motherboard. Also, how memory is used via the BIOS is dependent on the BIOS version. You should try to be sure all systems you want to compare have the same motherboard and chipset and that these also have the same BIOS version. -Derek >PGP userID: 0xE9758B7D or 'Peter Schuller ' >Key retrieval: Send an E-Mail to getpgpkey@scode.org >E-Mail: peter.schuller@infidyne.com Web: http://www.scode.org > >_______________________________________________ >freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list >http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions >To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org" > >-- >This message has been scanned for viruses and >dangerous content by MailScanner, and is >believed to be clean. >MailScanner thanks transtec Computers for their support. -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. MailScanner thanks transtec Computers for their support.