Assigning Memory - only 50% available

[IvanPBT]

Please excuse if this question is answered elsewhere - if it is - I've not been able to locate it.

This physical server has 1 virtual machine on it.

When we originally built it - we were able to assign the 4Gb (minus a bit of overhead) of RAM that is installed to the virtual machine.

When transferring to customer site  - there was a bit of condensation and half of the RAM wasn't seen properly (lots of beeping and crashing). So we reduced the amount allocated to just under 2Gb  (1882Mb), agreed to the assorted warnings, restarted and all is "fine". A day or so later - once it had dried out - we wanted to put it back to the 4Gb.

However, we don't seem to be able to do this.

The hypervisor sees - within the Resource Allocation tab that the total Memory Capacity is 1969Mb (i.e I can't assign any more than the 1882Mb to my virtual machine)

BUT

within the Configuration -> Memory tab it's seeing the 4Gb (3958Mb)

I've tried a restart, maintenance mode etc - but that's not resolved it (or allowed me to edit the assigned memory of my virtual machine to any larger value).

I have read that it might be because the vmswapfile is now 2Gb rather than the original 4Gb - but that was for an old version of ESX and I think in this case it's the hypervisor that can't see the full 4Gb, rather than a virtual machine that can't see it

Suggestions please?

Screen shots attached...

[jdptechnc]

Are you just talking about alocating 4GB of memory, or are you trying to set a reservation of 4GB?  I don't know why it would block you from allocating 4GB even if you didn't have that much physical memory available, it should allow you to overallocate.

Are you getting some kind of error?

[IvanPBT]

Thanks for the reply

no - I can't allocate more than I've already done and get it to work

I can allocate a bit more  - but that appears to be taking it out of the hypervisor's overhead and I get some generic error message about it not being able to start the virtual machine.

I know I can't allocate the virtual machine all 4Gb - but I should be able to allocate it 3Gb or 3.5Gb shouldn't I?

It would appear that although the hypervisor knows there's 4Gb of RAM there - it's only using / allocating 2Gb

[Pollard]

I think I found the issue why does it say total capacity here 4363 under resource allocation and then under configuration is says 7894.2?