# Infor VISUAL SQL Server Memory Sizing Calculator

> Source: https://netray.co/tools/infor-visual-sql-server-memory-sizing-calculator
> Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems.
> Section: Free Tools

## Short answer

Estimate total server RAM and the max server memory setting for the SQL Server behind Infor VISUAL Manufacturing.

## Category

other-erp

## Erp

Infor VISUAL

## Audience

- ERP administrator
- DBA
- IT manager

## Tool

**Kind:** calculator

**Inputs:**

#### VISUAL database size

**Key:** db_gb

**Type:** number

**Default:** 60

**Min:** 1

**Step:** 5

**Unit:** GB

**Help:** Data file size used, from sp_spaceused on the VISUAL database.

#### Hot data share

**Key:** hot_pct

**Type:** slider

**Default:** 40

**Min:** 5

**Max:** 100

**Step:** 5

**Unit:** %

**Help:** Share read regularly: recent rows of INVENTORY_TRANS, WORK_ORDER, OPERATION, REQUIREMENT, LABOR_TICKET and the masters.

#### Concurrent VISUAL clients

**Key:** clients

**Type:** number

**Default:** 60

**Min:** 1

**Step:** 5

**Unit:** clients

#### Memory per connection

**Key:** mb_conn

**Type:** number

**Default:** 5

**Min:** 0.5

**Step:** 0.5

**Unit:** MB

**Help:** Planning assumption for connection and session memory.

#### Operating system reserve

**Key:** os_gb

**Type:** number

**Default:** 4

**Min:** 1

**Step:** 1

**Unit:** GB

#### Other services on the box

**Key:** other_gb

**Type:** number

**Default:** 2

**Min:** 0

**Step:** 1

**Unit:** GB

**Help:** Report server, backup agent, antivirus.

#### Growth headroom

**Key:** growth_pct

**Type:** slider

**Default:** 25

**Min:** 0

**Max:** 100

**Step:** 5

**Unit:** %

**Outputs:**

#### Buffer pool target

**Key:** buffer_gb

**Expr:** db_gb * hot_pct / 100 * (1 + growth_pct / 100)

**Format:** decimal

**Description:** GB of data pages to keep in memory.

#### Connection memory

**Key:** connections_gb

**Expr:** clients * mb_conn / 1024

**Format:** decimal

**Description:** GB.

#### Total server RAM

**Key:** total_ram_gb

**Expr:** buffer_gb + connections_gb + os_gb + other_gb

**Format:** decimal

**Primary:** true

**Description:** GB needed on the database server.

#### RAM to install, rounded to 16 GB

**Key:** installed_gb

**Expr:** ceil(total_ram_gb / 16) * 16

**Format:** integer

#### max server memory (MB) setting

**Key:** max_server_memory_mb

**Expr:** round((total_ram_gb - os_gb - other_gb) * 1024)

**Format:** integer

**Primary:** true

**Description:** Value for sp_configure 'max server memory (MB)'. Recalculate from installed RAM if you install more.

**Chart:**

#### Total RAM vs database size

**Type:** line

**X:** db_gb

**From:** 10

**To:** 500

**Steps:** 40

**Series:**

- total_ram_gb

**Disclaimer:** Hot share, per-connection memory and headroom are rules of thumb, not Infor figures. Validate with Page Life Expectancy and buffer cache metrics after a month-end close.

## Content

**Intro:** This calculator sizes RAM for the SQL Server that hosts an Infor VISUAL Manufacturing database and gives a starting value for max server memory. It is built on the share of data VISUAL actually reads every day, not the whole database size.

**Sections:**

#### Why VISUAL is sensitive to database memory

**Body:** Infor VISUAL is a client-server application: the Windows client on each workstation connects directly to the database, and most of the work is SQL issued by those clients. There is no thick middle tier caching data, so every window that opens a work order, part or customer order reads from SQL Server. When the working set fits in the buffer pool, those reads come from memory; when it does not, they go to disk and users feel it. Busy tables include INVENTORY_TRANS, WORK_ORDER, OPERATION, REQUIREMENT and LABOR_TICKET, but only their recent rows are hot. Connection count also matters because each client keeps its own connections open.

#### Formula and worked example

**Body:** Buffer pool target = database GB x hot share x (1 + growth headroom). Connection memory = clients x MB per connection / 1024. Total RAM = buffer + connections + OS reserve + other services. Max server memory = (total - OS - other) x 1024 MB. With the defaults, a 60 GB database with 40% hot data and 25% headroom needs a 30 GB buffer pool. Sixty clients at 5 MB add about 0.3 GB. Adding 4 GB for the OS and 2 GB for other services gives about 36 GB, so install 48 GB. Max server memory from the computed total is about 31,000 MB; if you install 48 GB, set it from the installed figure instead, about 43,000 MB, leaving the OS and services their reserve.

**Bullets:**

- Set max server memory explicitly; the default lets SQL Server take almost all RAM
- Recalculate the setting from installed RAM, not from the estimate
- Leave room for backup and antivirus processes

#### Edition limits and licensing notes

**Body:** SQL Server Standard edition limits the buffer pool memory a single instance can use (128 GB in SQL Server 2016 to 2022; check the edition limits page for your exact version). Most VISUAL databases fit well within that. If your hot data really needs more, compare the cost of Enterprise edition against archiving old history or tuning the heaviest queries first. Standard edition is licensed per core or per server plus CAL, and prices change, so take cost figures from your reseller rather than from any calculator. Running the report server on the same box saves a licence but competes for memory; that is what the other-services input is for.

#### How to check the result

**Body:** After a full month including month-end close, read Page Life Expectancy and buffer cache hit ratio from sys.dm_os_performance_counters (Buffer Manager object). A PLE that collapses during MRP or costing runs means the working set does not fit. Check sys.dm_os_wait_stats: high PAGEIOLATCH waits point to reads from disk. Compare the buffer pool size used per database with sys.dm_os_buffer_descriptors to see how much VISUAL actually holds. If memory looks fine but users still wait, the problem is likely blocking or a missing index, not RAM.

**Cta:** If you want your team to ask VISUAL questions in plain English on your own servers, we can add a private AI layer that reads a reporting copy so production memory is not touched.

**Faq:**

#### What is the Infor VISUAL ERP system?

**Answer:** Infor VISUAL, often called VISUAL Manufacturing, is an ERP for make-to-order and engineer-to-order manufacturers, originally developed by Lilly Software. It covers estimating, customer orders, work orders, scheduling, inventory, purchasing, shop floor labor and financials, and runs on SQL Server or Oracle with a Windows client.

#### How much RAM does an Infor VISUAL database server need?

**Answer:** Enough to hold the data VISUAL reads regularly plus the OS and other services. That is usually a fraction of the database size, because old history is rarely touched. Use this calculator with your own hot-data estimate and verify Page Life Expectancy after a month end.

#### What should max server memory be for VISUAL?

**Answer:** Installed RAM minus what the OS and other services on the server need, set explicitly with sp_configure. On a dedicated 48 GB server with a 4 GB OS reserve and 2 GB for other services, that is about 43,000 MB. Never leave the default on a server that also runs other software.

#### Is SQL Server Standard enough for VISUAL?

**Answer:** For most VISUAL installations, yes. Standard edition's memory and core limits are above what typical VISUAL databases need. Consider Enterprise only if the hot data truly exceeds the Standard buffer pool limit for your version or you need Enterprise-only features, and check the limits for your exact SQL Server version.

## Search terms

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