A technique performs best-effort deduplication. The technique involves activating a front-end log deduplication service that is configured and operative to perform deduplication operations on data in front-end log-based storage prior to that data reaching back-end storage that is different from the front-end log-based storage. The technique further involves, after the front-end log deduplication service is activated, receiving new data in the front-end log-based storage. The technique further involves, providing the front-end log deduplication service to perform a data deduplication operation on the new data while the new data resides within the front-end log-based storage. The technique further involves, after the data deduplication operation is performed on the new data, updating the back-end storage to indicate storage of the new data within the back-end storage.