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Re: Backup Strategy Query


On Wed, 9 Nov 2005, Curtis Faulkner wrote:

Furthermore upgrading the server is probably not necessary as CPU speed isn't normally the major factor as backup isn't CPU intensive.


I can just about bet you that Rick has RTFM and that is why he mentions CPU. Retrospect's documentation states:
"For optimal backup performance, assign a relatively fast Macintosh to run Retrospect."

The truth of the matter is that CPU, for most backup applications, doesn't come into play near as much for the average backup user as it does for someone using software encryption and/or software compression. If you have a backup device with hardware compression, obviously software compression isn't an issue. However, if he plans on using encryption (not indicated in his message), CPU can make a bit of a difference. In that case, throwing CPU and memory at it is usually a good idea.

This is not true for Retrospect. RS, by default, makes Snapshots, which it compare during every single backup job to create its diff. This process of comparison is EXTREMELY processor and memory intensive. If you have a volume of 350,000 files that you snapshot every night, RS *will* peg your CPU for 10 minutes when it does its comparison.

RS is not typical backup software. Its normal processes and algorithms, regardless of encryption or compression, require the best CPU and most RAM you can provide them. Generally speaking, a normal RS backup using snapshots is network-bound 50% of the time and CPU/RAM bound 50% of the time, so N.B.
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References: 
 >Backup Strategy Query (From: Rick Eberts <email@hidden>)
 >Re: Backup Strategy Query (From: Dan Shoop <email@hidden>)
 >Re: Backup Strategy Query (From: Curtis Faulkner <email@hidden>)



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