* marc.bigler AT day DOT com <marc.bigler AT day DOT com> (Wed, Nov 20, 2002 at 
02:13:08PM +0100)
> Hello,
> 
> I have got here a DDS-3 tape drive which has per default hardware
> compression enabled and was wondering what is the best deal with AMANDA.
> Would you guys suggest hardware compression or should I disable hardware
> compression and have software compression done for example with gzip ?

It;'s a trade off:
Software compression gives better compression, but btakes CPU cycles .
If your machine can spare a lot of cpu cycles, use software compression, if
it is low on CPU cycles, do not.

Another big (and I mean big) benefit of software compression is that amanda
is much better capable of estimating how much data will fit on a tape.

And finally, while tape vendors usually claim a 2:1 compression, reality
shows it's more like 1:1.5 (unless you are working with large volumes of
seismic data, in which case the ratio drops to 1:0.95 
(in other words, compressed data actually takes more tape then
uncompressed).


Currently listening to: Roger Waters - 5.01 AM (The Pros and Cons of Hitch 
Hiking)

        Gerhard,  <@jasongeo.com>   == The Acoustic Motorbiker ==       
-- 
   __O  "Wenn ist das Nunstuck git und Slotermeyer?
 =`\<,   Ja !
(=)/(=)  Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!"