Re: Slow Backup Speeds with BackupExec 11d over Gigabit Ethernet (600 MB/min)...?

You are backing up ten times the data I am, so you definitely need better
advice on tape solutions than I can give you. As for ShadowProtect Server,
they do have a fully functional trial version, and I'm pretty sure you can
download it. Install is simple but does require a reboot. Pricing is on
the web site. If I remember right, it's comparably priced to Arcserve or
BE, but there's no need for extra-cost agents, so the total cost is less.

My network backup to Storage Server over gigabit ethernet takes 1.5 hours
for 72 GB of data. However, anecdotally from talking to another MVP who is
using ShadowProtect extensively to back up to eSata, the eSata backup is
significantly faster than ethernet. If you're going to do the trial, which
I recommend, you'll be able to see for yourself.


"markm75" <markm75c@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1168974238.475594.193400@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dave Nickason [SBS MVP] wrote:
I tried using Arcserve with a remote backup agent in a similar
configuration. Production server with 15K SCSI drives, and Storage
Server
with SATA II. I was never able to get more than about 300 or 400 mb per
minute average. 65 GB backup would take over 2.5 hours, which was only
slightly faster than tape (Exabyte VXA2). This was happening overnight,
so
there was no contention for bandwidth from users or anything. At that
time,
this backup was the only thing I was using the Storage Server for.

I tried to tweak the backup settings with CA support, but basically their
answer was that this is not abnormal performance. I ended up switching
to
ShadowProtect, which can back up the same production server to the same
Storage Server in an hour and a half. More importantly, I only need one
full backup per week. ShadowProtect then does an incremental backup
every 3
hours during the work day. (The recommended configuration is a weekly
full
backup, then incrementals whenever you choose, with a default of hourly
during the business day). I am now using ShadowProtect to back up two
member servers to the same Storage Server, on staggered schedules.
http://www.storagecraft.com/products/ShadowProtectServer/

Out of curiosity, what's the reason you want to use this configuration?
With me, it was backup window. Full backup to tape with verify was a
6-6.25
hour operation, and at least once or twice a week, I don't have that long
a
backup window. This is a member server with a lot of data on it, and not
my
SBS.


"markm75" <markm75c@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1168882910.836421.46220@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I am backing up remote servers using BackupExec 11D remote agents on a
remote server..

Both the server storing the backup and the remote server have Gigabit
ethernet.. Granted for whatever reason, my Qcheck Network Speed checker
is only showing about 250 Mbps throughput, which should be more like
600 or better (real world).. I am still only getting around 600 MB/min
or 10 MB/s throughput on the backup job.

The server storing the backup job has a single SataII Seagate drive,
while the server with the backup data is running SataI Seagate drives
(raid 5).

Anyone know of any solutions to get this up to where it should be.. I'm
assuming around 1200-2000 MB/Min?

Thanks


Well.. we have about 800 GB of data on all 4 servers combined.. From
what I have seen, generally people are backing this up to a NAS/SAN HD
array (server/device).. then backing up the Backup Server/Device to
tape... Viewing the tape as the slower recovery device but necessary
for offsite storage in case of damage to the servers/buildings.

I do monthly full backups, with incrementals every day, by months end
our data approaches 1.1 TB... Is a weekly full backup, the more common
approach. I think doing that with incrementals daily would result in a
lower overall total by end of the week, thus reducing the amount of
tapes needed for that "full backup" plus incrementals, but then I would
probably want to keep a month's worth of tapes offsite and rotate those
as well as the weeklys, followed by having an every 3 months tape set
kept off site for a year (so we could back to any quarter over a given
year)...

Again, I'm not sure what is typical on the rotation side of things.

I did manage to get better performance in my testing.. I was doing an
over the network backup to a local external SATAII drive.. this should
technically be fine, as its connected via an eSATA (II) port, which
should be the usual disk rates of 40-70 MB/s... but for some reason it
wasnt, I switched the backup location to one of the non external drives
and boom.. my rates went back up to the rates I was getting doing a
local backup (about 1400 MB/min, which for 305 GB took 4 hours).

I'm expecting the 800GB full backup to take around 8 or 9 hours..
Anyone else backing this much data up to either HD or tape and taking
this long or less (using 1 tape drive in an autoloader, or how fast is
it with 2 tapes, assuming its faster)?

The tape units I'm considering are the Magnum 224 (LTO3, can be
upgraded to LTO4 when it comes out, has the ability to add a second
LTO3 drive, these are the 400/800 tapes) and the DLT-S4 autoloader
library Quantum PX502 (it has the 800GB native tapes and the ability to
add a second drive, but is not upgradable to better capacity drives).
With the magnum we would have more tapes than with the Quantum, but the
price is much cheaper ($4100 compared to $9900).

The LTO3 unit is 82 MB/s and the Quantum is 60 MB/s.. we would probably
only be able to get close to 60 MB/s (i'm assuming) when doing the same
Server disk to tape (Ultra 320 SCSI) backup at this point.

I'll take a look at that software you mentioned... Maybe they have a
trial? Any idea on cost? For Backup Exec it is about $2200 upgrade
pricing for 4 cals and the main server license.

Thanks



.

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