no improvement using buffer with tar?

[servis@purdue.edu]

Has anybody used the buffer program to speed up tape backups?  I have
tried it on tar backups to my scsi-2 travan-4 drive and it either
doesn't change the backup rate or actually slows it down.

I am calling using a command like:

 tar --gzip --create --file - / | buffer -o /dev/nst0

I played with some of the options for buffer without much improvement. 

I guess I was a little disappointed with respect to its claims and its
actual performance.  I would like to speed up my backup, as it is now a
backup of my system containing about 5.5Gigs takes almost 5.5hrs. That
is only about 275k/s transfer rate which is way below the capabilities
of the drive. Which leads me to believe there can be improvements on the
software side of my backup.

Thanks,

-- 
Brian 
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"Never criticize anybody until you have walked a mile in their shoes,  
 because by that time you will be a mile away and have their shoes." 
							   - unknown  

Mechanical Engineering                                bservis@usa.net
Purdue University                   http://www.ecn.purdue.edu/~servis
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