NUMA in SQL Server came up in a lunch break chat at SQLPass, during my 42 tips session. An attendee asked what NUMA is and when SQL Server got it. Here is the answer I gave, with the history.
SQL SERVER – Knowing Which Database is Consuming My Memory
Which database is consuming my memory? This query on sys.dm_os_buffer_descriptors counts buffer pool pages per database and page type.
Dirty Pages in Memory: Count Them Before and After CHECKPOINT
Dirty pages in memory are changed data pages that SQL Server has not yet written to disk. This post counts them with sys.dm_os_buffer_descriptors on SQL Server 2025, before and after CHECKPOINT, and explains why the same script can show nothing on newer servers.
Buffer Pool Extension and In-Memory OLTP: What Each One Caches
Buffer Pool Extension caches clean pages of disk-based tables on an SSD. Memory-optimized tables have no pages, so it cannot hold them. This post proves it on SQL Server 2025 with two tables and read-only checks.
Msg 864: Buffer Pool Extension Size Over the Limit
Msg 864 means a buffer pool extension file is larger than SQL Server allows for the memory in the machine. This post gives the limits, four read-only checks tested on SQL Server 2025, and the steps to start a server that will not boot.
Insufficient System Memory: Msg 701 in a Resource Pool
Msg 701 reports insufficient system memory in a resource pool. This post reproduces it safely with a memory-optimized table on SQL Server 2025, shows the second message you get when the rows fill the pool, and lists the fixes that worked.
Bind Resource Governor to a Memory-Optimized Database
To bind Resource Governor to a memory-optimized database, you create a pool, bind it with one stored procedure and restart the database. This post runs each step on SQL Server 2025, proves the binding with the pool memory, and restores the server.