Embodiments for distributed data deduplication in a grid of processors. Input data is received on a processor. The input data is partitioned into a plurality of similarity units. A corresponding deduplication metadata slice and owning processor for one of the similarity units is calculated. A representative value and corresponding digest values of the similarity unit are sent to the owning processor. The owning processor is used to search for the representative value in the deduplication metadata slice, and to send a specification and owning processors of calculated identical data sections to the processor. The processor is used to send nominal information of the calculated identical data sections to the owning processors of the data referenced by the calculated identical data sections.