Predicting compression ratio of data with compressible decision

A computer-implemented method for managing compression comprising:

• receiving an input data block and storing at least a portion of the input data block on a computer memory device;
• generating a symbol frequency table by counting occurrences of symbols in an input data block to generate symbol frequencies stored in a symbol frequency table in the computer memory device;
• calculating a Concentration Value (CV) of the input data block by summing squares of the symbol frequencies read from the symbol frequency table;
• wherein the symbol frequency table includes a zero entry for a zero-valued symbol, the symbol frequency for the zero entry being a Number of Zeros (NZ) that indicates a number of symbols in the input data block having the zero-valued symbol;
• using a computer to multiply the Concentration Value (CV) with the Number of Zeros (NZ) to get a CV*NZ product;
• and
• comparing the CV*NZ product to a horizontal threshold and signaling that the input data block is compressible when the CV*NZ product exceeds the horizontal threshold, and signaling that the input data block is not compressible when the CV*NZ product is less than the horizontal threshold,
• whereby the computer compares the CV*NZ product to the horizontal threshold to signal that the input data block is compressible or is not compressible.