Server 2003 - NTBackup not compressing files to tape

[Guest Donald Campbell]

Backing up to DDS tape.

 

Compression is enabled on the drive, but when NTBackup runs it only puts

on the native amount before asking for a second tape.

 

NTBackup is told to use compression if possible.

 

Any ideas (apart from don't use NTBackup).

 

 

Don

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: Server 2003 - NTBackup not compressing files to tape

 

 

"Donald Campbell" <Donald@suedon.co.uk> wrote in message

news:IcdGCdIJJbwHFAG5@suedonltd.demon.co.uk...

>

> Backing up to DDS tape.

>

> Compression is enabled on the drive, but when NTBackup runs it only puts

> on the native amount before asking for a second tape.

>

> NTBackup is told to use compression if possible.

>

> Any ideas (apart from don't use NTBackup).

>

>

> Don

>

 

The key is in the phrase "use compression if possible". I suspect

that your backup drive does NOT offer hardware compression.

Many manufacturers state a tape capacity of 20/40 GBytes

(uncompressed/compressed) (for example) but fail to state that

this refers to ***software*** compression. I consider this

misleading.

 

In other words, unless your tape drive has inbuilt hardware

compression, you're stuck with the lower capacity figure.

[Guest Donald Campbell]

Re: Server 2003 - NTBackup not compressing files to tape

 

In article <#ONzmKxdIHA.4144@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl>, "Pegasus (MVP)"

<I.can@fly.com.oz> writes

>

>"Donald Campbell" <Donald@suedon.co.uk> wrote in message

>news:IcdGCdIJJbwHFAG5@suedonltd.demon.co.uk...

>>

>> Backing up to DDS tape.

>>

>> Compression is enabled on the drive, but when NTBackup runs it only puts

>> on the native amount before asking for a second tape.

>>

>> NTBackup is told to use compression if possible.

>>

>> Any ideas (apart from don't use NTBackup).

>>

>>

>> Don

>>

>

>The key is in the phrase "use compression if possible". I suspect

>that your backup drive does NOT offer hardware compression.

>Many manufacturers state a tape capacity of 20/40 GBytes

>(uncompressed/compressed) (for example) but fail to state that

>this refers to ***software*** compression. I consider this

>misleading.

>

>In other words, unless your tape drive has inbuilt hardware

>compression, you're stuck with the lower capacity figure.

>

>

 

 

Looking at the Windows "hardware" set-up the driver for the tape states

"compression enabled".

 

HP diagnostics indicates that the drive is fine.

 

 

Don

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: Server 2003 - NTBackup not compressing files to tape

 

 

"Donald Campbell" <Donald@suedon.co.uk> wrote in message

news:T8pAKILbnbwHFAGO@suedonltd.demon.co.uk...

> In article <#ONzmKxdIHA.4144@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl>, "Pegasus (MVP)"

> <I.can@fly.com.oz> writes

>>

>>"Donald Campbell" <Donald@suedon.co.uk> wrote in message

>>news:IcdGCdIJJbwHFAG5@suedonltd.demon.co.uk...

>>>

>>> Backing up to DDS tape.

>>>

>>> Compression is enabled on the drive, but when NTBackup runs it only puts

>>> on the native amount before asking for a second tape.

>>>

>>> NTBackup is told to use compression if possible.

>>>

>>> Any ideas (apart from don't use NTBackup).

>>>

>>>

>>> Don

>>>

>>

>>The key is in the phrase "use compression if possible". I suspect

>>that your backup drive does NOT offer hardware compression.

>>Many manufacturers state a tape capacity of 20/40 GBytes

>>(uncompressed/compressed) (for example) but fail to state that

>>this refers to ***software*** compression. I consider this

>>misleading.

>>

>>In other words, unless your tape drive has inbuilt hardware

>>compression, you're stuck with the lower capacity figure.

>>

>>

>

>

> Looking at the Windows "hardware" set-up the driver for the tape states

> "compression enabled".

>

> HP diagnostics indicates that the drive is fine.

>

>

> Don

>

 

Rather than relying on what the driver says, I would check the

manufacturer's data sheet.

[Guest Donald Campbell]

Re: Server 2003 - NTBackup not compressing files to tape

 

In article <#l$d4bxdIHA.1824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl>, "Pegasus (MVP)"

<I.can@fly.com.oz> writes

>

>"Donald Campbell" <Donald@suedon.co.uk> wrote in message

>news:T8pAKILbnbwHFAGO@suedonltd.demon.co.uk...

>> In article <#ONzmKxdIHA.4144@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl>, "Pegasus (MVP)"

>> <I.can@fly.com.oz> writes

>>>

>>>"Donald Campbell" <Donald@suedon.co.uk> wrote in message

>>>news:IcdGCdIJJbwHFAG5@suedonltd.demon.co.uk...

>>>>

>>>> Backing up to DDS tape.

>>>>

>>>> Compression is enabled on the drive, but when NTBackup runs it only puts

>>>> on the native amount before asking for a second tape.

>>>>

>>>> NTBackup is told to use compression if possible.

>>>>

>>>> Any ideas (apart from don't use NTBackup).

>>>>

>>>>

>>>> Don

>>>>

>>>

>>>The key is in the phrase "use compression if possible". I suspect

>>>that your backup drive does NOT offer hardware compression.

>>>Many manufacturers state a tape capacity of 20/40 GBytes

>>>(uncompressed/compressed) (for example) but fail to state that

>>>this refers to ***software*** compression. I consider this

>>>misleading.

>>>

>>>In other words, unless your tape drive has inbuilt hardware

>>>compression, you're stuck with the lower capacity figure.

>>>

>>>

>>

>>

>> Looking at the Windows "hardware" set-up the driver for the tape states

>> "compression enabled".

>>

>> HP diagnostics indicates that the drive is fine.

>>

>>

>> Don

>>

>

>Rather than relying on what the driver says, I would check the

>manufacturer's data sheet.

>

>

 

Diagnostics says that it can and the spec says that it does.

 

Don

[Guest Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Re: Server 2003 - NTBackup not compressing files to tape

 

 

"Donald Campbell" <Donald@suedon.co.uk> wrote in message

news:vZmfzrLlTewHFAT$@suedonltd.demon.co.uk...

> In article <#l$d4bxdIHA.1824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl>, "Pegasus (MVP)"

> <I.can@fly.com.oz> writes

>>

>>"Donald Campbell" <Donald@suedon.co.uk> wrote in message

>>news:T8pAKILbnbwHFAGO@suedonltd.demon.co.uk...

>>> In article <#ONzmKxdIHA.4144@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl>, "Pegasus (MVP)"

>>> <I.can@fly.com.oz> writes

>>>>

>>>>"Donald Campbell" <Donald@suedon.co.uk> wrote in message

>>>>news:IcdGCdIJJbwHFAG5@suedonltd.demon.co.uk...

>>>>>

>>>>> Backing up to DDS tape.

>>>>>

>>>>> Compression is enabled on the drive, but when NTBackup runs it only

>>>>> puts

>>>>> on the native amount before asking for a second tape.

>>>>>

>>>>> NTBackup is told to use compression if possible.

>>>>>

>>>>> Any ideas (apart from don't use NTBackup).

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>> Don

>>>>>

>>>>

>>>>The key is in the phrase "use compression if possible". I suspect

>>>>that your backup drive does NOT offer hardware compression.

>>>>Many manufacturers state a tape capacity of 20/40 GBytes

>>>>(uncompressed/compressed) (for example) but fail to state that

>>>>this refers to ***software*** compression. I consider this

>>>>misleading.

>>>>

>>>>In other words, unless your tape drive has inbuilt hardware

>>>>compression, you're stuck with the lower capacity figure.

>>>>

>>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> Looking at the Windows "hardware" set-up the driver for the tape states

>>> "compression enabled".

>>>

>>> HP diagnostics indicates that the drive is fine.

>>>

>>>

>>> Don

>>>

>>

>>Rather than relying on what the driver says, I would check the

>>manufacturer's data sheet.

>>

>>

>

> Diagnostics says that it can and the spec says that it does.

>

> Don

 

In this case I would do this:

1. Post the exact ntbackup command line here so that someone

can confirm that hardware compression is turned on.

2. Armed with this confirmation, complain to HP.

[Guest Andrew Morton]

Re: Server 2003 - NTBackup not compressing files to tape

 

Donald Campbell wrote:

> Backing up to DDS tape.

>

> Compression is enabled on the drive, but when NTBackup runs it only

> puts on the native amount before asking for a second tape.

>

> NTBackup is told to use compression if possible.

>

> Any ideas (apart from don't use NTBackup).

 

It might be that the data you're backing up isn't compressible, for example

zip or jpg files.

 

Andrew