SQL server -> fast, Shadow Copy components -> fast, drives -> slow

[Alec_Waters]

Hi,

My SQL Server and Shadow Copy Components backups (both local and remote) are very fast. Verify operations are very fast, too.

However, backing up local and remote drives is painfully slow. I can exonerate the network and the tape drive itself as the causes for this on the basis of my SQL and SCC backups.

What can I look at to determine why backing up plain old files is so slow? I am using OFO.

many thanks,
alecMessage was edited by:
Alec Waters

[Gilly-Bhoy]

Have you tried without OFO to see if it's quicker?
Does the Drive(s) need a defrag?
Are there a lot of small files on the drives?

Gilly

[Alec_Waters]

Hi Gilly,

I've taken off OFO for tonight's backup; we'll see what happens.

thanks,
alec

[Joshua_Small]

The usual culprit is your virus scanner.
I'd also suggest uninstalling it and trying again.

[Rucha_Abhyankar]

Hi Alec,

Please let us know if the suggestions provided earleir have helped you.

[Alec_Waters]

Hi all,

Thanks for your suggestions :)

I think that my reports of slow backup rates only apply when a small amount of data are being backed up. If I back up several gigs' worth the rate is fine, but if I back up a few tens' of megabytes, the rate is low.

Do the start and end times for a backup set include other operations apart from actually backing stuff up? Like finding the right spot on the tape, or working out which files to take?

If so, it might explain it. If a five minute start-to-end time is reported and the first four minutes were actually something other than streaming stuff to tape, I can see why the backup rate may appear low if you're not backing up much stuff.

many thanks,
alec

[Gilly-Bhoy]

Alec.

If your only backing up a small amount of Data then the throughput never really hits "top gear" if you know what I mean.

Gilly