OK, here the scenario. I have a Win2k server (sp4) running Backup Exec 8.6 build 3878. The tape drive is a Ecrix VXA-1. I am using V17 tapes which have a 33gb native capacity and 66gb compressed capacity. Problem. Backup exec always wants a new tape when backup reaches 40gig. I am backing up about 42 gig now. I had to delete some stuff to get the backup to run (sigh). I have verified that hardware compression is enabled on the drive itself, and set BE to use hardware if available (which it is). I also cracked open a new V17 tape to make sure that the old tapes were not the issue. I'm pretty much lost here. Why wont BE use hte full capacity of the tape? Why does it stop at 40? If it stopped at 33, I could assume that compression was at fault, but stopping at 40 just makes no sense. Anyone????? ~Rich
It also depends on what exactly you are trying to back up and compress. Certain file types are already made up of compressed data, such as MP3s, QuickTime movies, and JPEG graphics. So expecting a 2:1 compression is beyond possibility
@ddp: Recently patched to 3878 from 3808. No difference. @BigDK: All the data is either word/text documents, excel sheets, databases, or images. There are a few PSTs in there as well. Probably 90% of this data is Office documents. So you are thinking that because only certain files can be compressed, I am only able to fill 40 gig on the tape? Makes sense, but shouldnt word and excel files compress to almost nothing?? oh yeah.....thanks for the replies guys. ~Rich
