Essential Guide

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Editor's note

Backup deduplication, which reduces storage needs by eliminating redundant data, has moved from cutting-edge technology to mainstream staple. The data protection technology first showed up in 2003, aimed at organizations looking to move away from tape for the performance of disk-based backups. More than a decade later, dedupe is common in backup products, and can be a valuable instrument in data protection strategy.

But there are many elements to consider in picking the backup deduplication technology that fits best. How do zone-level and block-level deduplication compare? What about inline versus post-processing deduplication? What are the differences between deduplication and compression? How important are deduplication ratios?

Check out this comprehensive collection of backup deduplication content and learn about its pros and cons, different types and related terms.

1How deduplication is performed

There are many different ways that backup deduplication can be performed -- post-process vs. inline, block-level vs. zone-level and more. Learn about the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches.

2Deduplication's uses and benefits

Many organizations struggle with data growth. Deduplication is aimed at addressing this ongoing issue. This section explores some of the ways your organization can use backup deduplication.

3How vendors use deduplication

Backup vendors continue to find new ways to incorporate deduplication into their products. Explore some of the latest offerings in the market.

4Data deduplication challenges

Dedupe has changed the way backups are performed, but as with any technology, it can't solve every problem IT pros face. These articles take a look at some deduplication challenges.