Backup Exec 12.5 - No Compression with SDX-570V

[Cliff-Horner]

Hi,

I am running Backup Exec 12.5 on SBS 2008. Backup Exec is at service pack 3 with all applicable Hot Fixes applied. The server also has all updates etc.
My back up device is a Sony SDX-570V tape drive, which has the latest Sony firmware installed. The dip switches are in the correct settings for compression to be controlled via the host. In Backup Exec compression is enabled under the device and also in the job.

When I back up approx 51GB of data it fails on a SDX-50C (50GB/130GB), I can however get the data to backup ok on a TAIT2-80N which is 80GB/208GB. When I look at the info for the media after the job has ran it is just reporting a Compression ratio of 1:1. The used capacity is always exactly the same as the data. I have tried both Sony's driver and Symantecs driver for the drive. The data is a mixxture of all types, databases, system files, word, excel etc. I though I would at least see some compression. When I do a full system back up it is exactly the same, 1:1 ratio. I also have no encryption enabled.

I hope some one can help me with this.
Regards,
Cliff

[Dev_T]

Hello,

The compression ratio depends on several things:
-- What we are backing up : Allready compressed files like .DLL, .ZIP...etc will not compress anymore.....
-- Software Compression is taken care by the file system...(NTFS) & hardware compression is taken care by the Device (TAPE Drive)


Its very important what we are backing up...I would suggest you backup 10 to 15 GB of word, excel, ppts, txt files for test purpose with software compression or hardware compression enabled and compare the results

Backup Exec dosent compress anything, it will call the file system for software compression and it will let the Drive compress the data in hardware compression.

Hope this helps !!!