Extremely Slow Internet Backup Set

[jackie_m]

We're preparing to change from backing up exclusively to tape in our building to backing up across the campus LAN here (currently the server is at 100bT, effective 10MB/s throughput across campus) to another building for an off site backup (as opposed to transporting tapes to the other building). The total volume of the department's backup takes about 400GB of tape space before rotating tape sets.

 

Straight backup to tape of the volumes in the workgroup happen ad a good rate, probably the max of the tape drive, about 400MB/min or so. In a test setup, backing up to an ftp server in the building, the internet backup set performs horribly slow. A rate of 50MB/min over the internet backup is the current max of this, despite plenty of bandwidth and low latency on the servers involved (Retrospect on a 2x2GG G5/2GB RAM OSX box, running 6.1.126 with a 100bT connection and the recieving ftp server is a 2GB linux box also on a 100bT drop). I have tried with DES, FastCrypt, and no encryption, with some improvement as the encryption level drops, but it's still painfully slow. Sustained transfers on the network are not the problem, as an ftp transfer between the server is maxing at 10MB/s for at least 1GB of test transfer.

 

Is there anything that can be done for speeding up an internet backup set? This is too slow to be useful, and makes the internet backup set limited to anything but a small backup, not the stuff of the department level. I want to do this, but it just doesn't appear practical. Is this a washout? Is that a problem with Retrospect itself? The Mac version (which is still far from it's OS 9 roots, since it's a CFM app)? Would the windows version server me better here? Or am I SOL and walking tapes to the other building, since I can't even do a remote tape mount on OSX?

 

(note, I've reposted this under the right forum this time, since this is an OSX version and I posted it under the OS 9 forum.)

[KaiserKlan]

I am running a simple home back-up from my hard drive to a Airport attached drive all of 10 feet away, the maximum speed I've seen is 29.5 MB/min and this is on an 802.11n router. What is happening here?

[KaiserKlan]

I was just told by a tech support person that this is the best we can hope for. I don't believe him, someone please prove him wrong.

[Mayoff]

What is the speed over a wired connection? What about using 802.11g which is a finalized standard (unlike 802.11n).

[jackie_m]

For my clients, they're all wired and can get at least 1MB/sec effective throughput to the server via ftp. Many are at 10MB/sec (10bT and 100bT respectively).

[Mayoff]

Quote:

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I am running a simple home back-up from my hard drive to a Airport attached drive all of 10 feet away, the maximum speed I've seen is 29.5 MB/min and this is on an 802.11n router. What is happening here?

 

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For those using 802.11n, I found this on Apple's site today:

 

Based on a comparison with Apple’s 802.11g products. Comparison assumes AirPort Extreme network with 802.11n-enabled computer. Speed and range will be less if an 802.11a/b/g product joins the network. Accessing the wireless network requires an AirPort- or AirPort Extreme-enabled computer or other Wi-Fi Certified 802.11a/b/g-enabled computer. Actual performance will vary based on range, connection rate, site conditions, size of network, and other factors. Range will vary with site conditions. AirPort Extreme is based on an 802.11n draft specification.

[DrBoar]

I run it on a 100bT using a G4/400 as FTP server backing up to an external FW HD. For large backup client sets 200 MB to 2GB I get about 150 MB/min copy and 250 MB/min compare. However for small backups say less than 20 MB the troughput is 50Mb/min or even lower. No encryption as I thing a 400 MHz CPU and 640 MB RAM would be slowing it down a lot...