Hello Everyone,
We are currently using Backup Exec for Windows 11D to perform an online backup of our 4.6C system to tape. Since we are moving towards a 24x7 operation, we purchased a new server and storage array with hopes of achieving better transfer rates backing up to disk rather than tape.
Our technical details are as follows:
SAP R/3 4.6C server:
HP380
Windows 2003 Enterprise SP2 32-bit
Oracle 10.2.0.2
Db 320 gb
Backup Exec Server:
HP380 G5 64-bit
Backup Exec for Windows 11d with R/3 agent 64-bit
Latest BE build and hotfixes applied
Windows 2003 Enterprise SP2 64-bit
Target drive for backup files:
HP MSA60 Storageworks array
12- 750gb SATA drives in a raid 6 configuration
Our tests have been frustrating and disappointing. To our super dlt tape drive we are able to backup our 330 gb system at approximately 2,500 mb/minute or about 150 gb an hour. To disk, we are getting anywhere from 250 mb/minute to 1,350 mb/minute...half speed at best or much, much worse What seems to happen is that the disk backup will start running at near tape speed. But the longer the backup goes, the slower the backup becomes.
I have tried pre-allocating the .bkf files ahead of time. To pre- create a 100 gb .bkf it takes about 2 hours while the backup idles until the file creation is complete. While not an ideal runtime, I can live with it if the backup would run faster than tape once the file is created. But always the "same slowdown as it goes" seems to occur. When I don't pre-allocate the files and allow the file to grow as the backup runs, the backup will inevitibly hang or crawl at less than a couple of hundred mb/minute.
I'm sure that disk fragmentation is adversely affecting us. But even after we defrag the drives the same thing will occur.
We have a ticket open with Symantec but so far they have not been of much help.
Is anybody using Backup Exec for Windows to backup their SAP on Oracle system to disk? And what db size and backup speed are you achieving? Are there certain settings you find that will improve the backup speed? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance,
Rich