Deduplication

Nine Technology’s Powered By Nine® online backup and recovery solutions benefit greatly from the comprehensive deduplication processes that are built into the system. Large amounts of data are reduced to smaller, more manageable pieces through the patented two-stage block-level global deduplication algorithms that make Powered By Nine® a leading solution.

The process works like this: files are broken down to the block level. Each block on the system is checked against one another. All the unique blocks are then checked against the back-end infrastructure’s blocks. Only the blocks that are unique across the entire back-end (that is, against every client and end-user backing up with that provider) are sent across the wire for protection.

When it comes time to restore, the procedure reverses. The client program specifies what files need to be returned to the end-user, and block signature libraries determine which blocks on the back-end comprise those files. The blocks then return on the wire and are reassembled on the end-user’s computer.

When fewer files and blocks need to be protected, less bandwidth and system resources need to be devoted to backup procedures. Deduplication can reduce the amount of time it takes to protect a corporation’s data, and as such, help businesses secure their information faster.

Partners who choose to launch their own cloud solution through the Powered By Nine® Platform will receive even more benefits from this technology. Reducing the number of blocks that get transmitted to the data center reduces the footprint that a solution has on that architecture, so partners hosting their own solution will be able to protect more clients on the same server infrastructure.