HP StorageWorks EBS with HP OpenView Storage Data Protector V5.1 Implementation Guide (October 2003)

Installation and Configuration
24 EBS with HP OpenView Storage Data Protector v5.1 Implementation Guide
Performance and Tuning
To analyze speed and performance, it is necessary to examine the entire backup
process as a system. Although many factors contribute to the overall performance
of the system, there are four main factors that must be thoroughly understood to
determine the maximum performance in any specific situation. These factors are:
■ Storage Connection—For the EBS, this is Fibre Channel connection.
■ File (Data) Compression Ratio—The amount of compression has a direct
impact on the rate at which a tape drive can read/write data.
■ Source Disk and File Systems—Data source, local disk, RAID array storage,
file system type, and volume type.
■ Tape Drive—In the EBS, these are the various types of tape drives in HP
StorageWorks Libraries.
File (Data) Compression Ratio
HP tests show that not all data can be compressed equally. The compression ratio
affects the amount of data that can be stored on each tape cartridge, as well as the
speed at which the tape drives can read or write the data.
Table 2 shows typical compression ratios of various applications.
Table 2: Typical File Compression Ratios
Data Type Typical Compression
CAD 3.8:1
Spreadsheet/Word Processing 2.5:1
Typical File/Print Server 2.0:1
Lotus Notes Databases 1.6:1
Microsoft Exchange/SQL Server Databases 1.4:1
Oracle®/SAP Databases 2.5:1