>>...I have already downloaded your source code and extensive testing will be performed later...

Excellent and thank you. Here are two additional notes:

- Start with 1.5GB ( you will see a set of defines / by default I set it to 2.5GB )
- 1.86GB was the maximum amount of memory the application was able to allocate in the Release configuration on a 32-bit Windows platform ( when LARGEADDRESSAWARE is enabled )
- Use the Windows Task Manager in order to see how memory is allocated
- When defines:

#define _INIT_ALLOCATED_MEMORY_PASS1
#define _INIT_ALLOCATED_MEMORY_PASS2

are uncommented it takes some time to complete the initialization of memory. I recommend to comment out both at the beginning of tests:

// #define _INIT_ALLOCATED_MEMORY_PASS1
// #define _INIT_ALLOCATED_MEMORY_PASS2

>>Tomorrow I will post my results...

Excellent. Will you be able to make a couple of screenshots?

>>...Btw AWE memory mapping is more secure because it won't be paged out...

I'm simply interested...

Where did you find that information? Is it a statement from Microsoft?

>>...I could , but I do not know how to make a screenshots...

There is a 'Print Screen' button at the top of keyboard ( usually in a right part ). After you pressed it create a new image in MS Paint and press 'Ctrl+V' ( Paste ), edit if something needs to be corrected or marked, and press 'Save As' to save the image as a jpg-image. Jpg-format is a significantly smaller in size then default bmp-format.

Hi Iliya,
I'll be ready for any questions related to these tests.
Best regards,
Sergey

>>...Will you be interested in my GUI calculator testing?

Iliya,
I'm very sorry but UI is no longer my specialization. However, if you make some screenshots of the application I'll be able to provide some limited feedback. Is it OK?
Best regards,
Sergey

>>...I'm using win 7 and edited boot option with bcdedit.exe...

I understood that you have Windows Server 2003 and I don't understand why are you using Windows 7.

So, Please take a look at a Readme.txt file enclosed with the project. There is a link to a Microsoft's article about AWE and I also made a couple of notes. The most important are as follows:
...
1. ...test Microsoft AWE technology on Windows Server 2003

2. /3GB switch in Boot.ini file has to be used

3. Initial size of the Virtual Memory file has to be equal or greater than 3GB
...
In order to set an Initial size of the Virtual Memory file please follow these steps:

On Windows Server 2003

[ Start button ] -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System -> Advanced -> Performance Settings -> Advanced -> Change Virtual Memory -> Select 'Custom Size' radio button -> Set 'Initial size (MB)'=3072 and 'Maximum size (MB)'=8192 -> Press 'Set' button -> It is possible that a request to reboot the computer will be asked.

Best regards,
Sergey

Hi Iliya,

>>No.I 'm using Win 7,but I have a few VM's with various OS's already pre-installed.

Do you use a VirtualBox software?

>>Today I will create another VM with Win Server 2003 and extensive testing will be performed.

I hope that it won't take too much your time. The test is really simple and I expected that it could be completed in a couple of minutes.

Thanks for all your efforts.

>>>>Do you use a VirtualBox software?
>>
>>No VMware workstation 7.

Thanks.

>>...I hope that it won't take too much your time. The test is really simple and I expected that it could be completed in a couple of minutes.

Iliya, please don't spend too much time on it unless you're really interested in AWE technology.

Hi Patrick,

>>...There is an article on this at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366778.aspx...

Thanks for the link and it has another link to a very good article:

What is 4GT?
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc786709(WS.10).aspx

Take into account that /3GB switch in the Boot.ini file could be used on the following systems:

- Windows Server 2003 x64 Editions family
- Windows XP Professional Edition
- Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
- Windows 2000 Advanced Server
- Windows NT Server 4.0 Enterprise Edition

>>...
>>What is 4GT?
>>http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc786709(WS.10).aspx

I also recommend to look at these articles:

How 4GT Works
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc784475(v=ws.10).aspx

4GT Technical Reference
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc778496(v=ws.10).aspx

4GT Tools and Settings
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc737977(v=ws.10).aspx

PAE x86 Technical Reference
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc728455(v=ws.10).aspx

>>Today I will create another VM with Win Server 2003 and extensive testing will be performed.

What is your progress with installing Windows Server 2003 in the VM?

Hi Iliya,

>>...Has been already installed, soon I will post the results...

Just to clarify the task: At least 2.5GB of memory has to be allocated for the 32-bit test application ( source codes are provided ) on Windows Server 2003 ( 32-bit ). Let us know as soon as the test is completed.

Best regards,
Sergey

Hi Iliya,

Thanks for the update.

>>I'm switching to Win XP Pro because I have a stability issues with the Win Server 2003.

Do you mean when it is installed in VMware Workstation 7?

>>Btw.I created a new thread in "AVX and CPU instructions forum" where I described a strange issue related to inline assembly code.
>>If you are interested please look at the code.

I saw and I'll take a look at it during the weekend.

Here is update... I have some progress and finally I'm able to see how it works. However, it will take some time before a final decision about applicability of AWE-based solution will be made. There are lots of concerns and the most important is AWE is Not a portable solution.

>>...Was your previous AWE mem allocation tests so successful?

No because only yesterday I finally created a right environment for AWE tests. I'm still verifying results and sources because there are many questions. I will also need to spend more time on documentation.

By the way, a long vertical red line is not an allocation of memory pages. It is some kind of moving cursor.

>>...Can you send me for testing your source code?

Yes, of course. I've created two more little projects ( there are 3 in total now ) but the last one is in a very raw-state. I will upload all updated projects in about one week or later. I also would like to mention that I really underestimated efforts related to AWE tests. It took more than a couple of days to create a right environment in a VMware Player 5.0.1 ( build-894247 ).

In overall, I clearly see that AWE is a more advanced version of a 20+-year-old Expanded Memory Specification ( EMS ) technology for 16-bit operating systems. In the past, Microsoft and Intel had problems with address space limitations twice:

- it wasn't enough for applications to have a 20-bit address space in a 16-bit MS-DOS & Windows 2.x/3.x ( without Win32s extension )
- it wasn't enough for applications to have a 32-bit address space in a 32-bit Windows

>>...why do not use VWware workstation?

It is up to you what VMware version should be used on your computer(s). I don't want to start a discussion about advantages or disadvantages of different versions of VMware.

>>My future plan includes usage of 10-12 virtualized 0S's simlating network segment composed from the various varsion of
>>patched and unpatched Windows OS's I would like to test malware propagation and infection. I have
>>already downloaded 3 DVD filled with various malware.

Iliya,

I'm very sorry but the subject of the thread is Address Windowing Extensions ( AWE ) technology on Windows platforms with Intel CPUs and I really don't understand why you're continuing discussions on absolutely unrelated subjects like malware propagation and infection.

You could create a new thread in http://software.intel.com/en-us/forums/watercooler-catchall for any subjects which do not violate Intel's Forums Policies.

Once again, PLEASE do not "pollute" threads with unrelated subjects and I know that sometimes it is not an easy thing because we're on a forum.

Thanks in advance.

Best regards,
Sergey

>>There is also option to display data related to AWE technology.
>>
>>http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/ff700229.aspx

Thanks and I'll take a look.

The screenshoot I've attached demostrates memory layout of a 32-bit Windows NT operating system:

On some 32-bit WIndows operating systems ( which are almost at the end of support by Microsoft ) AWE changes that layout and more than 2GB of memory could be allocated ( out of 4GB ). However, since AWE can not be considered as a universal API that solution requires a significant amount of code modifications in an existing software system ( a port to a 64-bit Windows is significantly easier! ).

Let me know if somebody needs C/C++ projects I've created to research AWE capabilities.