Retrospect 5.6 with Travan 10/20 only backups 10 GB

[Quorum]

I have Retrospect 5.6 with a Travan drive (TR5 from Compaq) model STT20000A. I am using 10/20 GB tapes. When I run the backup, it estimates 13.5 GB of data, however, as soon as the backup starts, the display changes to 10.0 GB. The backup runs and only backs-up 7.5 GB (25%) software compression (?). The documentation implies that the display estimate is for information purposes only -- the backup will run until the tape drive is filled. This doesn't appear to be happening.

 

The origianl CD from Compaq had the Retrospect 5.6 software, VXA tape drives, and the manuals. All indications are that the drive should be able to hande more than 10 GB via hardware or software compression. It appears that only software compression is in effect, not hardware compression.

 

Please advise what I need to do to increase the backup capacity to be greater thatn 10 GB.

 

Thanks...

[jwarshaw]

I am having a similar problem. I can only get 10GB on my 10/20 Travan tape -- in other words, no compression. I am using version 6.5 of Retrospect for Windows. The backup set properties window is showing "hardware compression". Also, unless I'm getting senile, I thought the backup window used to show the compression as it was occuring (19% compression, for example). It doesn't seem to do that now.

 

So, here are my quesitons:

1) When compression occurs, doesn't the backup window show you the amount of compression? If it is now showing on my screen, any ideas why it's not?

 

2) Why am I now getting at least some compression on my backups?

 

Thank you in advance.

 

John Warshawer

[AmyJ]

http://www.dantz.com/index.php3?SCREEN=common_questions_detail&ACTION=COMMON_QUESTIONS_DETAIL&id=49

[jwarshaw]

Amy,

 

Thanks for the response, but I have read all the Q&A and see nothing that seems to apply. Retrospect does not seem to be doing any compression, and shows no compression statistics. I'm not encrypting (or I don't think I am!).

 

Can you be more specific as to what you think is the cause of my "no compression" problem?

 

Thanks.

[natew]

Hi

 

To ensure Retrospect is handling the compression in software create a new backup set and turn compression off. Note that this is the _only_ opportunity you will have to turn off hardware compression. Once hardware compression is enabled software compression is disabled no matter what you set it to.

 

Then go into your backup and make sure software compression is turned on. After that there isn't much more you can do. If you can get 13GB on one tape you are doing really well. 20Gb on a Travan only really happens under _extremely_ rare conditions (like marketing meetings). With my system I get 10 to 30% compression at best depending on the source files.

 

nate