Backup speed

[Tim_Henley]

This may not strictly be a Backexec problem but I need to ask some questions somewhere to and resolve what I beleive to be an issue.

We have an external HP DLT VS 160 drive on a HP server (twin 3ghz zeon with 3 gb memory) running windows 2003 server, SQL 2000 server and Backup exec version 10. This was supplied as part of a software package we purchased. Now I don't know if our backup is running slow or at its correct speed but the backup is taking over 18 hours to backup and verify just under 34 gb of data. This a backup of the entire host server and and the OS and software application on another server (by remote over a 1gbit network link)

The backup starts at 23-00 and has been finishing around 17-00 in the afternoon, our working day is from 07-30 til 19-00. Nothing else is running over night. I have changed the time the backup starts to 20-00.

Is there anything I can check in backup exec to improve the speed of the backup, does the speed of the backup seem slow??

Thanks in advance for any information you can pass on.

Regards

Tim

[Ken_Putnam]

My math is rather suspect these days - What is the reported throughput in the job logs?

Is the tape drive on it's own SCSI controller?
Are you using Veritas or manufacturer drivers?
Are you current on firmware and drivers for both the drive and SCSI controller?

[Tim_Henley]

The throughput ranges between 37.2 to 65.6 MB\min, the tape drive is a scsi drive and as far as I can tell there is only one scsi controller in the server , I am using HP driver as far as I am aware and the drivers and firmware are as theycame out the box, unless a windows update has changed the drivers.

Tim

[Tim_Henley]

I can confirm that the drive is using veritas drivers and not HP

Tim

[Deepali_Badave]

Hello,

You can also refer the following technotes to further troubleshoot this issue:

http://support.veritas.com/docs/237444
http://support.veritas.com/docs/249090

NOTE : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked assumed answered and would be moved to answered questions pool.

[Tim_Henley]

Would installing the Backexec service pack1 be worth a try, I don't want to install if it willonly make matters worse??

Tim

[Tim_Henley]

OK I have just tried to install the sp1 for backupexec 10 (be5520rsp1-278701.exe) and it failed as it said (something along the lines of) The product failed to install either because you have the wrong version for the product you have or the product you are intending to update is not installed on this server.

The product is installed on the server I was trying to run the service pack on. The version number of our software is Backexec 10.0 Rev 5484

I checked the installed update option and it says there are no installed updates, do I need to install all previous update to install the service pack??

Regards

Tim

[Ken_Putnam]

Is there a RAID Controller and a separate SCSI controller, or just the RAID?

If just the RAID, that may be you problem. The tape device should be on it's own SCSI controller, or at the very least, it's own channel.

You can try the latest Veritas tape drivers. Get TAPEINST from here http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/278408.htm

[Tim_Henley]

Cheers, Ken

I am concerned though that the veritas document states that the updated driver program is for Backup Exec 10.0 MP1 for Windows Servers build 5520, while my Backup exec version is 10 build 5484, am I likely to have further problems?

Regarding the SCSI channel setup, the server is raided but I don't know if the backup drive is on its own channel or not.

Tim

[ray_littlefie1]

To keep your product up to date you should download and install BE 10 Build 5520:
http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/277181.htm
It is a complete installation package and will install over your existing build 5484 as an 'upgrade'. After installing Build 5520, you can install the 5520 SP1, and/or at the very least install HotFix 15 a very important vulnerability patch.

Regarding your backup speed- You didn't say specifically, but I interpreted your description that you are backing up the local & a remote server within one job. Can you expand all of the job log and do a Find on the word "Rate". This will provide you with the transfer rate of each section of the local and the remote backup. Are all sections approximately the same speed or did the local server transfer very fast and the remote server slower? (trying to isolate the problem to local vs. network)
You can also compare results with a Backup2Disk folder. (Isolate between Tape Drive vs. Disk)
And Ntbackup is always good to compare against BE10.

[Tim_Henley]

Thanks Ken, As it is a large download and I don't want to do the upgrade by remote access I will wait until I am onsite again next week before installing.

The speed of the backups are as follow (both are the C drives of the respective servers)

Local 6,835,253,316 bytes in 1hr 39min at 65.3mb\min

Remote 6,522,976,849 bytes in 1hr 35min at 65.1mb\min

By my untrained eye that pretty similar as were all the other drives rates\time.

This speed problem we have had from day one (it was installed in May) but as the new software package that it is apart off has only just gone live and is now backing up a larger pool of data it has only now come to our notice.

I have marked this thread as answered, I will carry out the suggestions mentioned by Ken and if I am still having problems I will come back to the forum again.

Thanks all for the help

Tim