Benefits of the 64bit Version of OBIEE 11g?

Question

Hello,
I am in the process of verifying if the 32bit or the 64 bit Version of OBIEE 11g would suit our needs. The platform we will install OBIEE would be windows.
As far as the certifications go the 32bit Version of OBIEE is certified on the 32bit Versions of windows, so if we want to run a *certified* combination on a 64bit OS the 64bit version would be the way to go. OUI however doesn't complain when installing the 32bit Version on a 64bit OS.
As far as the Windows Server versions go there is no 32bit Version available anymore for future releases (starting with server 2008 R2), so in the future the (certified) way to go would be 64bit. However, for the sake of argument let's assume we are staying on Server 2008 where a 32bit version is still available.
I've found a lot of blog posts on how great OBIEE 11g is, and if one has the chance one should go for the 64bit version. That's nice, but I am missing the +whys+ and certainly the +buts+. Also, the oracle documentation (Oracle® Fusion Middleware System Requirements and Specifications) tells me the requirements for both architectures, but most certainly not when to use the 64bit version, and when a 32bit installation still will suit my needs.
The main reason for me to go for a 64bit version would be if we would have a huge amount of concurrent user sessions where of course the 32bit version will be constrainted by the Memory Limit imposed by the 32bit architecture. I guess the types of reports etc. might also come into play when it boils down to memory.
As for now I've installed the 64bit and the 32bit Version (11.1.1.7) and the first thing I can observe is that weblogic consumes double the memory on the 64bit version even with no user session connected and nothing to do for OBIEE whatsoever. So for a small installation (say ~ 20 concurrent sessions) I am tempted not to go for the general advice from above to "use the 64bit version if you can" as it's highly oversized.
Are there any other drawbacks in using the 32bit Version of OBIEE 11g for small installations (besides the certification question, and the "one day you might have more users" reason)? And when would it be advisable to go for 64bit? I know a general "do X when you have Y sessions" is not possible as every sytem behaves different, so I understand that a general answer isn't possible. But personal experiences would be helpful
thanks in advance,
cheers
Christian

Answer 1

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