Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

Data reduction and deduplication

• How do I decide when to deduplicate data and where?

  On its surface, data deduplication is a positive because it deletes redundant data. Use the technology carefully, but at the right moment for the best results.  Continue Reading

• What are 3 best practices for compressed backups?

  Learn important details about the use of hardware and software data compression, as well as redundancy, that could help your organization improve its backup process.  Continue Reading

• Can you list some data compression technology pain points?

  While data compression can effectively reduce space, be careful with how you use it, because the three issues outlined here could cause problems in your storage environment.  Continue Reading

• How does deduplication in cloud computing work and is it beneficial?

  The deduplication process reduces the amount of data in a storage system, but dedupe in the cloud may be more valuable to the cloud provider than the customer.  Continue Reading

• What are the downsides of copy data storage management?

  Copy data management can help an organization lower its costs by cutting back on extraneous copies of data, but the technology can cause performance bottlenecks.  Continue Reading

• What are some new data deduplication techniques?

  Copy data management is just one technology utilizing recent innovations in the backup deduplication space, combatting sprawl and managing snapshots.  Continue Reading

• What role does data redundancy play in copy data management?

  Copy data management and backup can work together, but organizations need to be careful with redundant data. Having only one copy of data could be a problem.  Continue Reading

• Should the data dedupe process ever be disabled by admins?

  While it may seem that you should never switch off the deduplication process, there are two instances where that may be the best solution for your organization.  Continue Reading

• Can your deduplication process be improved with semantic dedupe?

  While semantic deduplication is a legacy technology, the global deduplication process can perform a similar job. Expert Brien Posey compares the two offerings.  Continue Reading

• Is deduplication ratio an important backup consideration?

  The deduplication ratio was once a point of vendor competition, but now this figure doesn’t carry the weight it used to. Learn why in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• What is Data Domain Boost and what is it used for?

  SearchDataBackup Senior Site Editor Andrew Burton explains what EMC's Data Domain Boost software is designed for, how it works, and which products it supports in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• What types of data yield a high deduplication ratio?

  Rachel Dines, an analyst with Forrester Research, outlines the types of data that yield high deduplication ratios in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• What open-source data deduplication software options are available?

  W. Curtis Preston explains two open-source data deduplication software options currently available -- BackupPC and Oracle's Solaris ZFS, in this ask the expert response.  Continue Reading

• What are the differences between file-level vs. block-level deduplication?

  Dave Ellis, Principal Technologist at Instrumental Inc., discusses the differences between file-level and block-level data deduplication in this ask the expert response.  Continue Reading

• Pros and cons of block/variable block deduplication

  Learn how block/variable block deduplication is used, and what the pros and cons of this type of deduplication are for SMBs.  Continue Reading