Copy number abbreviation (CNA) is one type of genomic aberration that is often induced by genome instability and is associated with diseases such as cancer. Determination of the genome-wide CNA profile is an important step in identifying the underlying mutation mechanisms. Genomic data based on next-generation sequencing technology are particularly suitable for determination of high-quality CNA profile. Now is an important time to reevaluate the use of sequencing techniques for CNA analysis, especially with the rapid growth of the different targeted genome and whole-genome sequencing strategies.