Viewing actual size of compressed volume 1

[Tool]

Is there any way to find out how big the actual size of a compressed volume is? <br>
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Thanks in advance<br>
Tool

 

[6pack]

In NetWare, a volume is not compressed - only files within the triditional volumes. Compression in NetWare is like pkzip and pkunzip but done on a schedule. If you'r running v4.11, &gt;load servman &gt; pick volumes option. For Netware 5, &gt; monitor &gt; volumes. Of course, ndir /vol will give all kinds of volume info at the DOS prompt...

 

[Tool]

Thanks for the response.<br>
<br>
I was having trouble backing up my volumes. I have 5GB backup tape and 5GB hard drive, but the backup process would stop at 4.5GB and ask for another tape to complete the process. I used 7GB tape and had no problem with the backup.<br>
<br>
Tool

 

[2ffat]

There are several possible answers to you BU problem. Does this occur on every 5GB tape? If not, you may have a defective tape. If yes, your backup program may be adding some header information on your tape. Depending on how many files and directories you have, it could easily be 500 MB worth of information. <br>
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Does this happen only with one vendor's tapes? The vendor may be approximating (sp?) the size of the tape. <br>
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If you are using software compression, it may be possible that it is reversing compressed files. Some back up programs have an option to exclude zip files from being compressed for this reason.<br>
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It might be helpful if we know what BU software and hardware you are using.<br>

 

[Tool]

Great!!<br>
<br>
Well I'm using Seagate Backup Exec for Netware ver. 8.0. It happens to all my 5GB tapes. I've tried both Hardware and software compression on or off. I have a Exabyte 8mm backup device. The tape vendor is Sony.<br>
<br>
Thanks for the response.<br>
Tool

 

[2ffat]

I am not that familiar with the 8mm tapes. We are using Backup Exec for NW ver. 8 also but using Sony DAT tapes. I don't believe the problem is with the software but I will have to look up the info about how Exec stores info on the tapes. I also don't believe the problem is with the tapes since it happens to all of them. That only leaves the Exabyte drive. You might want to try starting there. Sorry I can't be of any more help.

 

[Tool]

Thanks for the response,<br>
<br>
I think it might have to do with the amount of data on the volume. I have 4.6 GB of compressed data on a 5 GB volume. The actual size of the data is about 7 GB. I can remove about a Gig of data and have a successful backup. So I'm thinking that the data size might be the cause....what do you think?<br>
<br>
Tool.

 

[2ffat]

This is the from my Backup Exec ver. 8 manual, page 148:<br>
&quot;Backup Exec by default will not uncompress the data coming from 4.x compressed volumes during backup for performance reasons. This mans that the data being passed to the application is already compressed as tightly as possible with current technology. If either hardware or software compression is enabled, not only may there be a performance impact caused by trying to recompress the compressed data, but there also may be a MINIMAL yet SURPRISING INCREASE in the size of the backup due to the inclusion of an additional compression envelope around data that is also passed to the tape.&quot; [Emphasis mine.] You can also find this information in the PDF manual on the CD by searching for &quot;compress.&quot;<br>
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Is it possible that the Exabyte has compression on even though you thought you turned it off? Maybe a hardware switch that overrides the software switch?<br>
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There is a setting in Exec that will cause it to backup compressed files as expanded files but from your description of the problem, that may not be on.<br>

 

[Tool]

Thanks for the tips!<br>
<br>
I did not find a hardware switch, but what I did do is backup unused data and deleted it off the server. Now I can successfully backup on one tape.<br>
<br>
Tool