1. A method for storing data at a backup storage system, comprising: for each of a plurality of data blocks involved in a backup storage operation, with one or more processors, associating a signature value corresponding to the data block with one or more of the data blocks and a reference to the data block to form a signature/data word corresponding to the data block; and logically organizing the signature/data words into a plurality of files each comprising at least one signature/data word such that the signature values are embedded in the respective file.