Source deduplication is generally classified into two types in the industry: general source deduplication and...

Huawei describes source deduplication as occurring before backup data is transferred to storage media. Data or files are segmented, fingerprints are calculated, and those fingerprints are sent to the DPA fingerprint repository for duplicate checking.

If an identical fingerprint already exists, Huawei states that the duplicate data block is not saved; instead, the existing block is referenced. Only when no duplicate fingerprint exists is the actual new data block transmitted.

This mechanism supports C: when the data content is already present in the backup system, the backup workflow needs only the metadata/reference information required to point to the existing block rather than retransmitting the duplicate payload.

The principal benefits are reduced network traffic, reduced backup-storage consumption, and a shorter backup window. The feature is not described as a mechanism whose purpose is to improve application-server performance; deduplication processing itself consumes some processing resources. Nor does the course define general source deduplication as being independently enabled or disabled according to application type or backup type in the way described by A and D.

Study Guide Topics: Data Protection Solution → DPA → Source Deduplication → Fingerprints → Duplicate Block Detection → Transmission Reduction.