64-bit server creates a 32-bit app pool, what gives?

[gsmalter]

I just installed the brand new 64-bit version of Vault Server 4.1.2, and I let it create its own app pool (the default). But the app pool it created is set up to run in 32-bit mode. I thought the whole point of this new version was to run in 64-bit mode.

OS is Windows Server 2008.

[mskrobul]

You can change the Vault app pool to a 64-bit only app pool. All the .dlls in that get installed with the 64-bit installer are 64-bit so Vault will work without "allow 32-bit applications" turned on in IIS.

[gsmalter]

That does work. So I guess the only problem is that it's kind of weird for the installer to set up a 32-bit app pool for a 64-bit installation.

[mskrobul]

It will be fixed it in the next release.

[Thona]

Fixing this would break it. MS recommends running IIS application pools in 32 bit mode UNLESS there is a reason not to. Hosting guidelines recomment hosters to turn the application pools to 32 bit.

The reasons:
* You normally don't need more than the memory available in 32 bit
* The application uses less memory then.

I see both points valid for Vault.

[gsmalter]

Taking some linear amount of additional memory in order to avoid the exponential decrease in performance that would occur if you hit the wall on available memory (even if you didn't know you'd need more memory than 32-bit gives you) is well worth it.

[Thona]

Sadly it is not exacly THAT easy, given that we talk about garbage collected systems. Throwing memory at a problem that does not require memory in the first place is not smart.

I fail to see how a source control system that is not doing heavy assset storage (like video files) should ever require 2gb of memory.

[jclausius]

Note, Vault was written to fit in the constraints of a 32-bit operating system. And we will continue to be very careful about memory consumption on the server.

However, limitations of IIS HTTP file uploads and the caching strategy for a very, very large number of files within a repository may be reason enough to run the Vault Server in 64-bit mode with more than 4GB of memory.