Xref: utzoo comp.unix.i386:5427 comp.unix.questions:22499 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucsd!ucbvax!ucdavis!csusac!unify!rdk386!ron From: ron@rdk386.uucp (Ron Kuris) Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386,comp.unix.questions Subject: Re: Tape backup performance on 386 ISA/EISA systems Keywords: tape, performance, 386 Message-ID: <1990May26..841@rdk386.uucp> Date: 30 May 90 04:22:42 GMT References: <1990May25.123302.26061@virtech.uucp> Reply-To: ron@rdk386.UUCP (Ron Kuris) Organization: At Home, Sacramento, CA Lines: 23 In article <1990May25.123302.26061@virtech.uucp> cpcahil@virtech.uucp (Conor P. Cahill) writes: >I am trying to collect data on the performance of the different tape >backup systems available for 386 bases Unix systems. What I am >trying to obtain is the speed in MB/minute of backing up a file system >to tape. In order to be meaningful, the file system must be at least >30MB and be backed up using the following command (so that everybody >uses the same mechanism): > > /bin/time sh -c "find . -print | cpio -oBcC 10240 > /dev/rmt0" > >Note that you may adjust the block size (10240) as you feel is appropriate >for your system as long as you tell me what you used. Obviously you might >also need to change the tape device name. > > [ stuff deleted ] Seems to me like you're not taking into account filesystem fragmentation or a bunch of other factors. How about running a disk optimizer (e.g. shuffle) before you start the test? I've noticed a dramatic increase due to less head activity (I don't have numbers handy). -- -- ...!pyramid!unify!rdk386!ron -or- ...!ames!pacbell!sactoh0!siva!rdk386!ron It's not how many mistakes you make, its how quickly you recover from them.