9.1 remote agent slow?

[SuperNetMan]

I just upgraded from 8.6 to 9.1. Actually the 9.1 is a fresh clean install on a brand new Windows 2003 Dell server box. All my old machines are still NT4. All old remote agents have been removed from the old NT4 boxes and new 9.1 remote agents pushed out to them. I have a Qualstar tape library that was moved from the old NT4 server to the new W2003 server. Local backups on the new server are running at full speed, no problem, but now the data xfer speed from the remote agents to the new backup server are about half of what I used to get with the old BE 8.6 installation. All servers are networked via 1000Base-SX fiber to a Cisco Catalyst gigabit switch. There are no speed/duplex conflicts and when using Windows Explorer drag-n-drop or FTP to copy big files back and forth between the machines as a thruput test, I'm getting the full gigabit speeds I'd expect. Is this new 9.1 remote agent just simply much slower than the old version? Or are there any tuning parameters or registry settings available to speed the things up?

 

[Mimulla]

Hi,

You need to check several things that the agent has correctly installed on the remote server. You can copy the installation files to the remote server and run the installation locally on the target (remote) server.
When you install backup exec 9.1 it creates

\\servername\Program Files\VERITAS\Backup Exec\NT\agents

you will find the agents that you have purchased in the folder. For Windows NT,2000, 2003 copy RANT32 to the target server e.g c:\rant32. Goto the command prompt issue the command cd c:\rant32. Onc in the directory run the setupaofo.cmd file this will install the open file option agent and the installation should be successful. To make sure check the services for remote agent for backup exec.

Hope this helps. Allows you can specify what network you want to use in Backup exec.

 

[SuperNetMan]

We've installed, removed and re-installed the remote agent multiple times now... ensuring that it's completely gone before re-installation. We've done both the "push" install and the manual install. We've come to the conclusion that the 9.1 remote agent is just slower the prior version and there's nothing else than can be done. We're planning to ditch Backup Exec for some other brand of backup software in next fiscal year's budget since we feel the product has evolved into a poor performing mess that can no longer be depended upon. We're having endless problems with the OFO failing also, as well as 9.1 exhibiting random tantrums of inability to recognize when media is appendable or not, and also a random strange behavior of thinking that some tape carts can hold 16.0TB of data (I wish that was true!). It's just a buggy mess.

 

[justin2000]

Sounds like you have issues in your environment other than backup exec, and backup Exec is just pointing them out.

Regarding speed issues:-
1. What speed does it go from local backups?
2. Have you tried hard setting the speed/duplex on the NIC cards?

What errors are you having with AOFO?

Backup exec saying that the tapes hold 16TB is because, backup exec doesn't actually how much the tape can really hold and what sort of compression it can get.
When it has been running for a while, the sizes will be more in line with what exactly you have.

 

[CrazyIvan99]

We're having the same kind of issues with Backup Exec 9.1. I've never come across backup software so full of bugs... Our agents take so long to back up data across the network in comparison to previous versions it's painful. Also we have very odd occurrances of tape drives (previously never having had problems) not being able to use tapes for no apparent reason. The only thing that has changed has been the version of Backup Exec.

 

[bluewhaleCA]

I've run into the same thing myself. Lost our Role Master DC on Sunday. Rebuilt and up by Monday 6 am, however I have not had a good backup since Saturday.
I've been on the phone with Veritas for a total of ... perhaps 12 hours or so this week so far: just back from two hours running to the office to get the tapes to stay IN the drive and then convince the program to use them. My normal backup, mostly across a gig LAN, takes 6.5 hours to backup and verify 175 gigs. With the new install vs upgrade from 8.6 which at least worked I am finally able to back up however the time estimated is 20 hours and thus unusable. So now I'm staying up all night to manually copy files to have a backup.
This is crazy. I'm ditching it and going back to 8.6 as soon as I can. If they won't support it then I will find another program.


Paul