I am only backing up one file, an iso image, which is about 2.6 gigabytes in 
size.  Maybe that is why I get an error after 2.5 gigs. The tapes The LTO4 tape 
drive I am using is has a capacity of 800 gigabytes uncompressed and 1.6 
terabytes compressed.  I have tarred to that drive at speeds of 5.5 gigabtyes a 
minute.  I don't have a holding disk configured because my experience with tar 
led me to believe that my tape could handle the speed of my fastest source 
drive. I figured the holding disk  would only slow me down. I have corresponded 
with others that use LTO3 drives that are having faster speed than me. I don't 
know if any of them are using gnu-tar. One who has been using Amanda since the 
early Ninetees is definitley still using dump.  Is my holding disk logic 
flawed?  I am only backing up from one local fibre attached SAN