Simple definition
Storage compression encodes data more compactly to reduce capacity consumption, with some processing overhead.
Purpose and use
Storage compression reduces the representation of selected data while allowing its reconstruction.
How does it work?
Savings depend on content and method; already compressed or encrypted data may provide little additional reduction.
Example and verification
Measure actual savings, processor use and latency on representative data.
Points to watch
An advertised ratio does not guarantee results for another workload. Compression and deduplication address different redundancy patterns.
In short
Assess space savings alongside processing cost and recovery capability.