Data transformation of Cassandra files for improved deduplication during backup

Non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing executable instructions for controlling a computer to perform a method of deduplication and backup of data files that store changing data in tables as a plurality of rows of variable length data that are reordered and merged with rows as data changes, comprising:

• selecting a fixed segment size of data as a data unit for deduplication;
• translating of each row of data in a selected table into a format that enables access to the data in each row in said selected table;
• parsing the data in said translated rows of said selected table to provide row lengths that are sized to fit within multiples of said fixed segment size;
• adjusting the row length of each parsed row in said selected table to have a length that corresponds to said fixed segment size by padding each parsed row with a predetermined predictable pattern of bytes to produce a transformed table having rows of data of the same size;
• and
• deduplicating individual rows of data in said transformed table to identify data that is a duplicate of previously stored data.