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6 slow backup causes to watch out for
Backup performance is affected by several factors. Ensure that backups are running in a timely manner to protect data and prevent bottlenecks.
Backups are an integral part of data protection. Slow backups are not just inconvenient; they can end up being costly as well.
When a backup job is not completed in a timely manner, it puts data at risk if an unexpected failure or disruption occurs. To keep data safe, it's critical for backups to run as scheduled with as few bottlenecks in performance as possible. Unfortunately, there are many areas where a backup can go wrong. Common causes include network issues, inappropriate backup scheduling and application settings.
There are several possible reasons for reduced backup performance. Below are six things admins should check if they notice lagging backups.
1. Network performance
Poor network performance is a common cause of slow backups. This issue can be further exacerbated by backing up at peak times. Of course, it might not only be the shared bandwidth that is the issue, but the actual quality of the link.
Frequent connection breaks can wreak havoc with backup performance. This is where regular monitoring of the network connectivity can pay big dividends and bring issues to the front that can be quickly dealt with. There are many monitoring and graphing tools to show utilization and error rates. Having visibility into the resources being consumed is key in troubleshooting slow backups.
2. Resource issues
Resources cost money, and the backup provider might not have sufficient resources to cope with backups that tax the hardware. Resource constraints can occur anywhere from the local infrastructure right through to the cloud-based backup provider. Backup admins must know where crossover occurs with resources and which systems are at risk of a performance dip.
Businesses must thoroughly research potential providers to find the right fit. Good providers will have service-level agreements that help admins understand the offering and its limitations. As a general rule, do plenty of research on the provider. Shopping on price alone is a shortcut to a miserable experience.
3. Backup scheduling
Unless a business is Amazon or Microsoft, there will rarely be enough bandwidth to service all the backups at once. As more backups are scheduled, slow backups can creep in due to the contention on the network circuit against all the backups fighting for the network bandwidth.
The fix for this is to be clever with the scheduling. For example, backup admins can use a weekend-based full backup -- with a big backup window -- with weekly differentials. Running a differential backup might mean using more bandwidth and data, but it makes data restoration much quicker.
4. Unnecessary backups
Often, administrators can be remiss in excluding files that don't need to be backed up. As a typical example, all Windows servers have swap files that can be large. There is no need to back these up, since they are wiped at reboot time. There is no point in backing up such items, but many organizations likely still do it. There can be many sets of files that do not need to be actively backed up because the data sets are available elsewhere. Strong data management and awareness of what files must be backed up can significantly reduce the burden on backup systems.
5. Compressed files
On-the-fly compression can make a real difference when it comes to slow backups. Compressing files for transport across a link can help.
But compression is not a complete fix. While compressing files can save storage space, it can also cause performance issues when restoring data. Compression also requires significant CPU usage. Backup administrators can mitigate this by being discerning about what data is being compressed. Files that tend to already be compressed, such as some video and photo formats, do not need to be compressed in the backup stage. This will save CPU resources and prevent unnecessary file degradation.
6. Application settings
Depending on the backup type used, there is typically a software agent involved. Backup admins should be familiar with the settings for different software applications. Understanding which files the application excludes from backups, its maximum CPU utilization and the software's compression settings can yield significant resource savings and help prevent slow backup scenarios.
Stuart Burns is a virtualization expert at a Fortune 500 company. He specializes in VMware and system integration with additional expertise in disaster recovery and systems management. Burns received vExpert status in 2015.
