Garbage Collection doesn't seem to be running on ASP.net MVC Application Pool

Question

I am having some weird issues with ASP.NET 4.5 garbage collection and any knowledge or guidance is appreciated.

I recently deployed a new web site about 2 weeks ago. When the site's application pool wakes up or recycled, the w3wp.exe memory will jump up to 500-600 MB and stay there. I've let it set for 10 to 20 minutes before I run GC.Collect() manually, and the w3wp.exe memory will instantly drop to 100-150 MB.

The server is Windows Server 2012, running IIS 8. The project is ASP.NET 4.5 MVC.

Is this normal behavior or is there something I'm missing?

UPDATE: This box only has 4 GB or ram and I know it needs more, but I don't make those decisions. I am trying to work with what I have. We have about 8 other web sites running on this box. Most of them are small sites and run at 100 MB or less. We have a larger application also on this box which runs around 1600 MB.

Answer 1

This is not unusual IMO. Essentially your application pool is building up all your in memory classes,caches etc. It is also compiling your pages on demand as they go. I am not sure how you are running your garbage collection on a production deploy while the app is running but unless the memory just keeps running, likely this is just the size of your app.