Thanks all for the response.  I agree with al the statements made.  I
am just trying to determine whether anyone is getting the published
specs on the LTO5, or what the real world transfer rates are.

I am running archives of large Oracle database files, so I don't think
that file size is an issue.
I am running on new P770 equipment, so it should be able to push the
data.  I can write to /dev/null at 1000+ MB/s.

Before I make recommendations to fix the LTO5 performance, I just want
to be sure that it is possible.  Have the vendors overstated the
performance metrics, or is this environment an exception?  It seems to
be writing at the minimum sync speed for LTO5.

Thanks again.

Gary


On May 3, 2011, at 9:55 AM, Richard Sims wrote:

A general advisory...  Commonly overlooked in throughput reviews is
the computer's system bus.  Sites may be implementing new technology
with ever-increasing data rates on the same computer they've been
using for years, and then wonder why they aren't seeing the
throughput they expect.  LTO5's specs include a 280 MB/s data rate
(with 2:1 compression).  The capacity of a PCI bus is 266 MB/s - and
that bus has to be able handle traffic other than what's going to
one tape drive.  Be sure to examine the system in total when sizing
for certain data rates, whether a traditional computer system or a
SAN-based storage solution.

    Richard Sims  at Boston University