Hey Eric,
       If you are looking for system level tools on *nix systems, you can to a 
timed dd from disk to /dev/null. This will give you how fast your host can rip 
data from disk and dump it to a hole in the ground (/Dev/null). On the other 
side of things, you can also run a timed dd from /dev/zero (or dev random if 
it's supported) to the tape drive. You can do this using both the compression 
and on-compression device files and it should give you a pretty accurate 
representation of if your host can push data to tape quickly enough. Lastly, 
you can run a timed dd from disk to tape. 
       These three values will give you a snapshot of what your system can do 
without involving your SW. if the SW values differ greatly, the SW may be 
placing too much overhead on your host or it could just use some optimizing. 
       Hope this helps. 


Mark Pinder : Systems Engineer: 303-449-6444 x1551
                                         Cell: 720-394-0732
Spectra Logic : 1700 N 55th Street Boulder, CO 80301 US