Folder compression, a few ?'s

[8Bits]

Hi all

On one of our W2k SP3 servers it's a constant battle to keep enough free space. 125Gb in total and it's been going from 1Gb to 120kb on and off for the last month. I've removed just about as much as I can at this stage.

I've just a couple of Qs about folder compression and would appreciate any feedback anyone may have:

1. Will it free up much space (our files are mainly comprised of cad, office and image files)
2. Will users of any of the compressed files notice a big slow down?
3. Will it have any ill-effect on our backup software (backup to tape using retrospect)
4. We have services for macintosh running on this server, will compressing the folders effect our macintosh users any more than our PC users ?

Thanks in advance for any pointers anyone may have.

Regards
Gerry Rigney

 

[byrdman2000]

My suggestion would be to only compress those directories that have little change. Do not compress any system or program directories only data.

As far as your questions:

1. How much space mainly depends on what the data is. Example a .zip file will not compress at all, but a .txt will have large savings. You can test it on one of your data directories and see how much savings. You can always undo it.
2. There is not a large slow down I have never been able to notice it but there is some processor time to compress and decompress the files.
3. This is done at the file system level any backup software that can read NTFS can still read a compressed volume.
4. Again as long as the application and access NTFS partitions there should be no problems, though I have no personal experience with services for macintosh.

Try a stepped approach and just do the directories that may gain you the most space. We compress our Public, and Installation directories because most of this information is rarely changed and applications do not run from there.


Good luck,

Scott Byrd

 

[8Bits]

Hi byrdman2000

Thanks for the reply. Guess we'll just compress folders that aren't used that much.

Thanks again
Gerry