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Please Help!!!!! Slow Backups with DFS driving me crazy!

Lamotta
Level 3

Hi

We have been having problems for too long now with the backing up of DFS replicated data.

Let me give you some background. Until two weeks ago we were running Windows 2003 R2 with Backup Exec 12.5. Backing up standard data from the server to our fibre connected tape library was giving me a rate of around 1800MB/Min which is perfect. However the moment we edit our selection list to back up any data that is part of a DFS replication group the rate drops drastically to between 1-5MB/Min. When you consider we have 3TB of data to backup this is obviously unacceptable.

In order to resolve this issue I have attempted to backup at share level and also have stopped the DFS replication service. This gave us a marginal improvement causing the job rate of our backups to leap to a rate of 90MB/min before eventually tailing off to around 9MB/Min.

I have also ruled out the device type - if I backup the data to a folder on disk I get exactly the same result.

Two weeks ago we commissioned a new server with Windows 2008 R2 and Backup exec 2010 R2 with SP1. During the test phase I created a dummy DFS folder and set up some replication. Backing up this data by selecting both the source DFS folder and the Shadow copy components lead to a rate of 1500MB/Min - Great! So following this successful testing I went ahead and attached the LUN containing our data to the new server - set up the backup and kicked off my first backup........guess what? My job rate dropped to 1MB/Min. I have since tried everything from switching off DFS replication, backing up at Share level, excluding the DfsrPrivate folders and nothing seems to improve the speed. I have contacted Symantec support and spent 4 hours on the phone going through exactly the same proceedures that I had already tried. The support guy, knowing I could only perform the action out of hours, eventually told me to try a reboot of the server. I obviously knew this would have no effect but - in order to follow their requests I did of course reboot.

I really am at a loss with this. There must be a way to back up this data - It exists on the server, surely I can configure BE to back up as if it was non DFS'd data. If anyone can help - if anyone has had similar issues - or if anyone has the 'holy grail' of a solution. Then I would be so so grateful.

Many Thanks in advanced.

  

 

8 REPLIES 8

CraigV
Moderator
Moderator
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Hi there,

 

In order to back up DFS data, you need to back up the Shadow Copy components I believe. When you do this, you should see your backup rates include.


Thanks!

 

EDIT: Give the article below a read...very good information and explations offered...

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/dfs-and-dfsr-backing-your-distributed-file-system-b...

Lamotta
Level 3

Hi thanks for your reply - bizarrely the option to backup Shadow Copy components has disappeared since I installed SP1 on BE 2010 - any ideas how to get this back?

 

Also If I select Shadow Copy components do I need to select the source files as well. For example if I had a folder on E:\ called DFS (E:\DFS) and the data is part of a replication group, do I need to select this in addition to Shadow copy components or will the selection of just shadow copy components take care of backing up everything in E:\DFS?

 

Thanks 

CraigV
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited

...when you select Shadow Copy Components it would select everything else for you under that. You can actually browse the selection and make sure it does this.

As for SCC disappearing, I have no knowledge of that. Maybe run a LiveUpdate to see if there are any other patches available, and if not, look at uninstalling/reinstalling SP1...

Lamotta
Level 3

Hi - I ran a repair which brought back the shadow copy components. I have selected just the Shadow copy components and user data and the back up rate is still very poor - currently 8MB/MIN Any other Ideas?

CraigV
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited

Restart your server, and possibly look at patching BE with all available updates!

Lamotta
Level 3

Symantec blame Micrsoft and no doubt Microsoft will blame Symantec. Current transfer rate stands at 40MB/Min. This is so frustrating. 

CraigV
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited

Mmm...DFS data is the same as the registry if I read things correctly, and this would explain the slow backups in Server 2008 R2!

BE 2010 R3 is supposed to fix this...there is a Beta programme on the forum here...why not join it and check it out?

me79
Level 0

I can only second Lamotta. I still have some tests to perform, that thing with share-level backup in case this works was a nice hint, but we are struggling with DFSR since three Backup Exec versions on server 2008, too.

Let me add an interesting observation:

On our former file server, Windows Server 2008, we finally switched off VSS (deactivated it under services) because especially Diff backups were painfully slow and hoped for a solution in the future - backup rates were great, 1818 MB/min. Now with the new NAS, Windows Storage Server 2008, we have 424 MB/min for a full backup which results in 36 hours for about 1 TiB which is unacceptable.

A few weeks ago where only a small part of data was on the NAS we had around 1719 MB/min.

I'll further observe and consult with my colleagues and take a look at the next two weekend full backups but I'd like to tell Lamotta that he/she is not alone and I also think DFSR is Backup Exec's Achilles' Heel. Stopping the DFSR service for hours is no option as the store/data will get out of sync/become inconsistent. I can also no longer do without VSS - VSS is essential for several other parts of the new server.

Regards