When SQL Server 7.0 uses memory dynamically, it queries the system periodically to determine the amount of free physical memory available. Though this configuration is recommended, you can still set the memory options manually and thus override SQL Server’s ability to use memory dynamically. You can use “min server memory” to set a minimum amount of memory to SQL Server and “max server memory” to prevent SQL Server from using more than the already specified amount of memory. This might be desirable as it leaves remaining memory available to start other applications quickly. Even though SQL Server returns memory back to the OS if another application starts and there is less than 5 MB of available memory, there is still a short delay between the time SQL Server releases memory and the start of a new application. Using the max server memory option avoids this delay. This technique might also enhance the performance of the other application.