SQL database dumps can compress as much as 4:1 or 5:1. My Linux log files
get about 2:1, IIRC. A 'normal' mix of data and programs around here
compresses at about 1.6:1.

2.6:1 is outrageous as a general claim. I always thought the 'industry
standard' 2:1 claim was bogus too. 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Toralf Lund [mailto:toralf AT procaptura DOT com]
> Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2003 8:55 AM
> To: Amanda Mailing List
> Subject: Has anyone ever compressed real data that much???
> 
> 
> A question a bit on the side:
> 
> I've been looking for a new drive or autoloader, and I notice 
> that some 
> vendors now assume a hardware compression ratio of 2.6:1 in their 
> advertising material. Which leads me to the question in the 
> subject; has 
> anyone ever compressed real data that much? Or even achieved 
> a ratio of 
> 2:1, which is also frequently assumed? (In conjunction with 
> backups, that 
> is.) The best I've done with Amanda is about 1.8:1, but that's for 
> software compression, of course.
> -- 
> - Toralf
>