What is the difference between the system cache and the file cache

[b11_]

What is the difference between the system cache and the file cache?

 

[Paul]

What is the difference between the system cache and the file cache?

In this article, they reference "system cache mode", which affects
the way that the file cache is set up. "System cache mode" tends
to starve applications, in the name of making a larger file cache,
on the assumption that the machine needs better/faster file
performance. A "file server" needs better file performance,
than a "user desktop", so might be a better candidate for
"system cache mode".

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/895932

HTH,
Paul

 

[John John - MVP]

What is the difference between the system cache and the file cache?

It's the same thing, it's the file system cache. The term 'File Cache'
was more prevalent on NT4 operating systems because that is the term
that was used in the NT4 Task Manager. With Windows 2000 the Task
Manager File Cache counter was changed to include the transition list
and they decided use the term 'System Cache' instead of "File Cache",
but really they're the same thing and the underlying Performance Monitor
Memory\Cache Bytes counter counts the same thing on both NT4 and the
newer Windows 2000/XP.

John