In the Orion NPM guide
Network Performance Monitor Administrator Guide : Installing SolarWinds Orion Network Performance Monitor : Orion Requirements : Orion Server Hardware Requirements.
States: "Physical Address Extension (PAE) should not be enabled."
Yet, Recommended memory for SLX is 8 GB RAM on the same page.
If SW technical support supports the configuration listed in the "Orion Server Software Requirements":
Physical Address Extension (PAE) is a OS or software setting and it allows 32-bit Windows systems to address more than 4GB of RAM, by allowing 36-bit memory addressing. Without it enabled, 32-bit systems would not be able to go up to 8GB. On 64-bit systems it cannot be disabled. See for additional details:
A 64 bit OS doesn't actually use PAE, it's physical address table is already large enough to handle at least 2TB of RAM without an extension. So, basically solarwinds is recommending a 64bit OS. But if you use 32 bit, either you will get a slow down due to PAE or RAM starvation.
True, and while I agree with your assesment, they dont say that in the product's authoritative guide. 64-bit OS support is only a recent addition and Microsoft muddies the waters Windows 64-bit does state it has PAE enabled in the System Control panel (system properties).
If we are trying to "capacity plan" or remediate legacy/upgraded deployments, convincing customers or business management to use 64-bit OS, that Microsoft is incorrect, Solarwinds is incorrect, or your recomendation is incorrect because you are suggesting to run on something that is expressly stated is not supported.
Not critising the "technical", just the wording, phrasing and inconsitentcy.
