This is the right answer.
I had once on AIX one user with a directory with more then 80000 files.
Dsmc had the same behavior as you mentioned. It takes over 90 minuts to
backup that directory (a "find" in the same directory also takes over
25 minuts, not to mention when ypu try a "ls").
So I talked to that user and I said: "you have to remove a lot of files,
or your directory isn't backup-ed anymore".
After two days, only 200 tar-files where left.

>>Does anyone out there know if there is a maximum size directory entry that
>>ADSM will back up?

>>The reason I ask is that I have an SGI client that hangs when it gets to a
>>directory entry that is over 2MB in size and has 66124 files in it. The
>>client dsmc process (incremental or selective) sits there eating CP time,
>>sending nothing over to the server.

>There is no such limit in ADSM.  As you note, the dsmc process doesn't actually
>"hang" - it is trying valiantly to process the directory contents.  The problem
>is that large directories are notoriously inefficient to process, as anyone
>who has run a large mail or news server can attest.  Your poor dsmc is sending
>nothing over to the server (yet) because it is so busy wading through that
>directory.  If there is any way you can render your directory structure
>less "flat", it will help improve both your dsmc and system performance (in 
>that
>there are obviously things using that directory on your system as well).
>         Richard Sims, Boston University OIT

Henk ten Have