Databases generally back up much faster than file systems because they're, well, databases. They can stream data faster and you're also backing up one or two files instead of thousands to millions.

They often compress much better as well and you see improvement in the transfer rate because with one drive your tape drive is the limiting factor. By compressing the data you get more data on to the tape in the same amount of time (i.e. if you're using DLT, with 5MB/sec native write speed, and you can compress 1.5:1, you're actually writing 7.5MB/sec).

Backup Exec does work fine for backing up CIFS filers, but it all depends on how much data you have to back up. If you're backing up a couple hundred GB, it'll probably work. More than that, you probably want a more scalable solution (e.g., multiple tape drives spinning during a backup over GbE, or local attach NDMP backups).

Mad Dog

-----Original Message----- From: Patrick Lee [mailto:pat@patlee.org] Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 11:46 AM To: Benn, Paul Cc: toasters@mathworks.com Subject: RE: Backup Exec on 760 NT filer

At 19:14 11/06/00, Benn, Paul wrote:

The latest versions of Veritas BackupExec (8.x) supposedly now

require that all

backup clients have a backup agent installed. You can't install an

agent on the

filer.

Not true. I am using Backup Exec (8.0) to backup my Filer and it works fine. Installing an agent on an NT server would allow the backup to go significantly faster, however. Backing up over 100 Mbps LAN:

Backup of Filer: 189 MB/minute Backup of Exchange server w/ agent: 332.7 MB/minute (local disks) Backup of SQL server w/ agent: 311.2 MB/minute (local disks)