Bacula-users

Re: [Bacula-users] Backup is way too slow

2012-10-26 19:40:20
Subject: Re: [Bacula-users] Backup is way too slow
From: dweimer <dweimer AT dweimer DOT net>
To: <bacula-users AT lists.sourceforge DOT net>
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2012 18:37:58 -0500
On 2012-10-26 15:33, lst_hoe02 AT kwsoft DOT de wrote:
> Zitat von noob1321 <bacula-forum AT backupcentral DOT com>:
>
>> You didn't tell us how the line speed is, could that be an issue?
>> You could also look at if the files are small, small filesizes = bad
>> performance.
>>
>> if your network connection is speedy and the files are small you 
>> could
>> compress chunks of the data before backing up.
>>
>> how does the backup perform from the local network? is it slow there 
>> too ?
>>
>> Backing up remote locations on a slow line could be improved using
>> spooling.
>>
>> cheers
>>
>>
>> So after some work with Comcast and tinkering around we found that
>> the problem is actually Bacula. By doing speed tests from the client
>> machine we saw that before we started using bacula it was around
>> 25down 6up but when using Bacula the speed changed DRASTICALLY to
>> .1MB/s down and .8 MB/s up. We stooped Bacula, remotely reset the
>> modem and speeds were back to normal. 10mins later I started up
>> Bacula  and the speeds went right back down again. I again stopped
>> Bacula, reset the modem(got speeds back up) and DIDN'T run Bacula
>> and the speeds have been great for the past few hours.. So whenever
>> Bacula is backing up this machine it takes it from 25Down/6Up all
>> the way to .1Down/.8up
>
> Uhmm, sorry but if your modem alter speed because of IP traffic
> pattern it is utterly crap. The only thing which *might* cause this 
> is
> a very noisy line where the modem downgrade speed if you have a 
> steady
> traffic stream because of raising error counters. But still nothing
> Bacula can do about.
>
>>
>> There has to be something wrong here.
>
> Yes, your modem/line is broken.
>
> Regards
>
> Andreas


This wouldn't be the first time I have heard of an ISP degrading line 
speed based on some sort of traffic inspection, but there are still more 
things to consider first.

Here are a few more things to look at:

Assuming your information above is obtained from a speed test, the 
following procedure should help narrow down the issue, these tests are 
assuming a couple of things you left out, as in since you have 25M Down 
and 6M up, I am going to go under the assumption that this is an 
internet link and that both sides are matching links.  And in addition, 
that there is a likely a VPN tunnel between the sites.

Do these test at both sites:
Test before starting Bacula
Test while Bacula job is running (If possible look at modem and see 
what it reports current throughput in both directions is)
Stop the Bacula job, Test again without resetting modem (Verify the 
file daemon has indeed stopped sending data)
Reset modem and test again

You may also want to consider using iperf to test performance on the 
link between the machines rather than rely on the data from an internet 
speed test.

If my first assumptions are correct and there is a VPN tunnel of some 
sort, if that's handled via hardware, from router to router, verify that 
it isn't causing the bottle neck, perhaps its memory or CPU is being 
exhausted trying to keep up with the VPN traffic.  repeat above tests, 
except reset the device running the VPN if its not the same device as 
the modem, instead of the modem.

If your not using a VPN tunnel, I really hope your using SSL on the 
Bacula server and File Daemon, or otherwise tunneling the data through 
SSH or something.  In the unlikely case that your ISP is inspecting the 
traffic and degrading your speed (perhaps thinking data is p2p traffic, 
which some ISPs have been known to target, especially ones with a vested 
interest in movie/tv/music rights, cough..cable internet service 
providers...cough), perhaps tunneling this through an encrypted tunnel 
would stop their inspection rule from triggering the link degradation.

There really is a lot to be considered, Bacula, definitely isn't 
breaking your link, however the heavy load its causing may very well be 
causing an undiscovered problem with either the modem/router/link/VPN 
etc. to come to light.

Computer networks are generally a massive complicated thing, with a lot 
of variables, its why many of us make a good living keeping them running 
smoothly.  However without enough of the variables defined there's very 
little chance of getting the answer to the problem.

-- 
Thanks,
    Dean E. Weimer
    http://www.dweimer.net/

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