unclejung wrote:

>
>
> If all the connections are closed, and the database has no active
> transaction, shouldn't the server release all the memory except for
> the cache? Or is there something else I am missing. I am trying to
> find a way to narrow down the causes.
>

The server handles three types of memory.

The page cache is allocated as necessary, up to the amount set by the
various configurations - per database, per server, per configuration
file - and never released.

Sort memory is allocated as required up to a configuration setting and
released when the sort completes.

Other memory is allocated in pools to describe such things as system
metadata, compiled requests, transaction state, undo logs, etc. Some
pools belong to the system - metadata is one - some belong to
connections - compiled requests for one - some belong to transactions,
and some belong to active requests. The server will release pools
related to closed connections, transactions, and requests, but releases
them to its internal free space for recombination and reuse.

What that should mean is that the server's memory use will increase over
time, up to a limit that represents the amount of memory needed to
support the highest load yet encountered, then stop growing until a
higher load is encountered.


Regards,


Ann