Veeam software level dedup

We typically will see 2:1 usually depending on the workload being backed up.  Not sure I have seen 3:1 in any backups but never really paid attention that closely, now I want to look.  🤣

Generally I see a 2:1 reduction with Veeam dedupe and compression, but it will vary depending on the type of source data, and how compressible it is. Text and other files being much more compressible than video, images, CAD files, etc.

XFS/REFS with fast clone is not dedupe per se. Unlike a deduplication appliance, it doesn’t apply deduplication across the entire repository. Essentially, fast clone works by creating index/pointers to already written blocks and so that it doesn’t need to write them again. This works especially well with backups where multiple full backups are retained, and the majority of that source data is unchanging.

Hi ​@MavMikeVBR -

Not really much more to say than above. Like others, I’ve not heard of Compression in Veeam being greater than 2:1 personally...at least at the “Optimal” (defaul) level. You can get slighly better with higher setting, at the cost of more CPU. But, the Compression gain is negligible imo.

XFS is great, and Tommy defined how that works pretty much spot-on (I shared about this in my Linux VeeamON session last yr). Fast Clone is great imo. Obviously, it’s best relevant if you configure Synthetic Fulls; but it of course also works well with merge operations. The performance gain using XFS is pretty significant as compared to not using. Sorry...I don’t have real-world test info documentted to share 🙁.

For Compression, former Vanguard/Legend and now Veeam Employee ​@MicoolPaul did a pretty decent test of the new Compression algorithm in Veeam v12 about a year ago. I recommend giving it a glance. 

Hope this helps.

Oh...just found a script a former Vanguard (now Veeam Employee) created a few yrs ago to extract Compression data from your Jobs. Might also be of use here:

https://benyoung.blog/blog/extracting-veeam-compression-and-dedupe-ratios-from-backup-using-powershell/

https://gist.github.com/benyoungnz/1e2f719e523141f8f067573898443824

it depends on data

for example oracle VMs with XFS and fast cloning

I get between 3:1 and 4:1 quite often but as said before - this stronlgy depends on your source data.

I have many customers with some Citrix workers (please don’t ask why they appear in the backups...) and stuff like that so the ratio can be quite high.

In those cases mostly a VHR is used with XFS.

Please also keep in mind that the DCR might lead to different ratios since this may cause different compressibility.