ArcServe Backup - Slow Locally Fast Remotely

[gamman]

Using ArcServe 6.61 sp2a on Compaq proliant 1600 512 virtual mem,512 physical NTS SP6a , HP Autoloader with Quantum DLT 8000 drive and SCSI II card.
My problem is different from everyone else in the fact that remote backups from other servers to this server run fine averageing at approx 200MB per minute. The big problem is that when the Arcserve server turns its attention to it self I only get am average of about 20-30mb per minute. WHY?
I have researched this and tried all the different suggestions on the CA site. The one about changing the block size frustrates me as I dont have that particular section in my registry.
Is it something to do with the fact that the local machine is a file server with average individual file sizes are small while some of the remote servers such as one of our notes servers the files (mail DB's) tend to be bigger.
There was a time when the local backup reached over the 150mb min mark but it seems like a lifetime ago.
I have turned off AV and all other non critical services during backup time with no improvement.
Our Backups are now running so slowely that it is running into our working day and affecting the performance of the file server.
Please Help meeee......
Tks

 

[dkediger]

Since this has been a progressive problem - perhaps local disks are fragmented?

 

[gamman]

Good Suggestion, however I thought of that.
About 6 months ago our main file server (the server in question) was badly defragmented so we went for over kill with diskeeper , running it whenevr we could , the end result being that the main partition is now much improved with many less defragmented files( I dont run diskeeoer when backups are running)

 

[Guest_imported]

Hi there.
I need to know if you've applied anything on top of sp2a? Also, you may want to try applying this device patch. LO84946.CAZ About the file server. The fact that you have multiple small files indicates that a smaller block size may be necassary. Check your current blocksize (in the device menu) and let me know what it is. I guess after that you could always make sure that, actually... hmmmmm.let me gather my thoughts... DLT 8000, 6 MB/s native. 240 MB/minute native best case scenario. with/without compression should be about 300 MB/minute local (and if well designed) remotely as well. Interesting figures.. anyway, I really don't know what else it could be? What happens if you try backing up your machine through the network? What happens if you back up a share on another client computer which maps back to your local disk?

Just some food for thought....

guru - brightstor@hotmail.com

 

[gamman]

Some excellent suggestions here ...ones I did not take into consideration. I have applied the Patch for tonights job. By the way the block size is 65536 which is the default I think? It will take me a while to try the other suggestions but I will do over the next few days and post my results.
Tks again.