BE 10.0: Slow backups- How do I correct?

[Sean_Poage]

Hello,
I'm trying to find out why my backups are so slow, and hopefully correct this. This is my configuration:

-Server is a Dell PE2550, Windows 2000 Server, Svcpk 4, running Veritas Backup Exec 10, Svcpk 4.
-The server has it's OS and applications running from it's Perc3/DC Raid controller.
- On another SCSI card, an Ultra 160, is an attached Power Vault RAID array with about 850 GB of data.
- On a separate Ultra 160 SCSI card is the backup device, a media library with a single LTO2 tape drive. I've got 200 GB LTO tapes in the device.

The server takes almost a week to backup, and shows about an average of 130 MB/ min for the job rate. It is not backing up anything over the network.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!Message was edited by:
Sean Poage

[Ken_Putnam]

From the devices tab, right click the tape drive\properties

What are the settings for block size, buffer size and number of buffers?

Also

Are either of the SIngle Block option s checked?
Are either of the pass through options checked?

[Sean_Poage]

Thanks for the reply!

Block size: 64k
Buffer size: 64k
Buffer count: 10
Write Single Block Mode is checked
Write SCSI Pass-through mode is checked.

I left everything as default after the install.
Thanks!

[Sean_Poage]

Does anyone have any ideas?

[Ken_Putnam]

Disable single block write. With this selected, BackupExec will not do any buffering at all. It will read 64K, write 64K, read 64K write 64k, etc

Also, pass through should be disabled unless the device is on a SANMessage was edited by:
Ken Putnam

[Sean_Poage]

Hi Ken,
I have disabled those items and will test Friday night and respond when it completes. As for pass through, is that just for SANs, or does it also include SCSI attached RAID arrays like the Dell Powervault?
Thanks!
Sean

[Ken_Putnam]

PassThru should only be used it the device is on a SAN

See http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/259030.htm

[Sean_Poage]

Hi Ken,
Thanks for the help! Through put doubled to about 330 MB/min, which is still slower than expected, but at least the backup completed over the weekend.

I imagine the backup may be slower because of disk fragmentation and the server stores millions of small graphics files (~25 k, each). Should I consider changing the block size for the backups?

[Ken_Putnam]

Block size of 64K should be OK. You might try 128K buffer, but I wouldn't expect that to make much difference

Many, Many small files will definitely slow down throughput, and there's nothing you can do about it.

Disk Fragmentation on the soure disks could be affecting you, but I'd bet that the lots of small files thing is your ,limit now.