NTBackup with SONY SDT-S5000

[Milesp]

I have successfully written a batch program to backup our Peer-to peer network each night. Problem is that on this SONY SDT-S5000 using DDS2 tapes and hardware compression, we should be getting close to 8GB on tape, but we're not. At around 5GB the tape is ejected and Computer management asks for a new tape. The job is unfortunatley not covering everything we need backed up because of the tape ejection, and the extra space between 5 and 8 GB would do the trick

Any idea why this happens? I have hardware compression turned on in the batch file. .

Any insights would be helpful.

 

[comtec17]

Compression Ratio is not a guaranteed number. Some files are just not compressable and when compressing them they will actually grow larger in size. Keep in mind that the Native capacity of the DDS2 is 4GB so if you are getting 5GB then you are getting lucky. I would recommend you move to a DDS4 tape or DLT.

 

[Milesp]

Thanks comtec17. That's what I was thinking the answer was.

I can't use a dds4 tape because the drive is only a dds2. What exactly is DLT?

What I may end up doing is breaking the backup into 2 jobs over 2 days. Most of the data can be backed up every 2 days instead of everyday.

 

[comtec17]

I was recommending you upgrade your tape drives to either a DDS 4 drive or a DLT drive.