If you’re responsible for managing an organization’s storage systems, you know that storage costs can quickly add up. One way to reduce these costs and improve data management is through the use of data deduplication.
What is data deduplication?
Data deduplication is the process of eliminating duplicate copies of data in your storage systems. This can include data stored on multiple servers, in multiple locations, or in multiple formats. By removing these duplicate copies, you can save valuable storage space and reduce the overall cost of your storage systems.
In addition, deduplication can help improve the performance of your storage systems by reducing the amount of data that needs to be accessed and processed.
With this the complexity increases. Getting insight and keeping control of the storage landscape becomes more difficult over time. More and more questions come up.
6 steps to implement data deduplication in your organization
Here are the key steps to follow:
- Identifying the data you want to deduplicate
- Determining the deduplication method that will be used
- Implementing the deduplication process
- Confining potential duplicated files for a period of time before deleting them
- Reviewing and deleting the contents of the quarantine folder on a regular basis
- Monitoring and maintaining the deduplication process
1. Identify the data you want to deduplicate.
This may include data stored on your organization’s NAS, SAN, and cloud storage systems.
2. Determine the deduplication method that will be used.
There are several different deduplication methods to choose from, including file-level deduplication, block-level deduplication, and byte-level deduplication. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to choose the one that best meets your organization’s needs. Some key considerations to keep in mind when choosing a deduplication method include:
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- The type of data being deduplicated (e.g. files, blocks, bytes)
- The storage infrastructure in place (e.g. NAS, SAN, cloud)
- The resources available for implementing and maintaining the deduplication process
3. Implement the deduplication process.
This may involve installing deduplication software, configuring deduplication settings, and running deduplication jobs to remove duplicate data.
4. Confine potential duplicated files for a period of time before deleting them.
This can help ensure that you don’t accidentally delete good files or folders. You can do this by moving the potential duplicates to a separate “quarantine” folder or storage location. This gives you time to review the contents of the quarantine folder and confirm that the duplicates are indeed unnecessary before deleting them. You can also consider implementing a system for tagging or labeling the potential duplicates, so that you can easily track and review them.
5. Review and delete the contents of the quarantine folder on a regular basis.
This could be a weekly or monthly task, depending on the volume of data being processed and the resources available to review it.
6. Monitor and maintain the deduplication process.
To ensure that deduplication is having the desired effect, it’s important to regularly run deduplication jobs and monitor storage utilization.
By following these steps and using tools like DataIntell, you can effectively implement data deduplication in your organization and improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of your storage systems.
How DataIntell can help organizations
But finding and removing duplicate data can be a time-consuming and complex process, especially if you have a large, dispersed storage infrastructure that includes both on-premises and cloud-based systems. That’s where DataIntell can help. Our software uses advanced algorithms to quickly discover duplicated files and folders across all of your organization’s storage systems, and provides a report of the findings to help you identify duplicate data. This saves you time and resources and helps you get the most out of your storage infrastructure.
