Processing I/O operations may include: receiving, at a data storage system, an I/O operation from a host, wherein the I/O operation is directed to a logical address and includes an I/O tag used in connection with performing data reduction processing for first data stored at the logical address; and performing processing to back up a data set including the first data stored at the logical address. The processing may include: sending, from the data storage system to a backup application, the data set and hints regarding the first data set, wherein the hints include a first hint determined in accordance with the I/O tag from the host; performing, in accordance with the hints, data reduction processing of the data set to generate a second data set; and storing the second data set on one or more backup storage devices.