Incremental backup, why choose it at the differential?
Data backup is a crucial task for the survival of your company.
There are several methods. Which should you choose between incremental and differential backup? And why? Let's examine together the different criteria that determine your backup.
Incremental or differential backup, two options
Your choice is as follows:
- Configure a differential backup system that is slow and heavy on a daily basis, but guarantees faster recovery on the day you need to restore your system
- Or install an incremental system for continuous flow management, even if this means having a longer recovery plan in case of an incident
Assess the risk/opportunity relationships of each scenario according to your situation and compare them. But in the meantime, let's have a recap!
What you need to know about data backup
What is backup?
Backup is an operation that consists of duplicating the contents of a computer system and storing it for safekeeping. The backup can be performed on an external medium such as a hard drive or USB stick (Universal Serial Bus), on a NAS (Network Attached Storage) server, or on the cloud, online.
Backup is neither recording nor archiving
A distinction must be made between backup, recording and archiving. Backup obviously goes through a recording phase.
On the other hand, recording does not necessarily involve duplication. Archiving is the long-term preservation and protection of content, while maintaining its original condition.
Backup does not automatically lead to archiving
The different backup methods
Full backup: an effort that must remain on time
A full backup, also called a full backup, consists of copying all data. But as soon as these reach a certain volume, the backup becomes time-consuming and laborious.
If, in addition, the data in question is likely to evolve along the way, its transfer may encounter synchronisation problems and cause the backup to fail. It is necessary to make a full backup, but it is not advisable to do so often.
Choose a time when company activity slows down, such as August, to start the backup, and thus be sure to minimise the inconvenience caused and maximise the chances of the process being successful.
Online backup: duplicate more material but less securely
You can choose online backup services or cloud backup. They give you less work because the backup data is managed by a professional who takes care of it for you.
They allow you to store your data in a place other than your hard drive, which is very convenient to avoid loss of content in case of failure, so you can simply retrieve it online.
Regardless of your operating system (mac os, linux or microsoft windows), this service is accessible to all and allows you to access your backups from any computer connected to the Internet. There is no need to configure settings on your computer, everything is done on another interface, in the cloud.
On the other hand, this solution requires you to hand over your data to someone who can then consult it. If stored in this way, they are more likely to be hacked. However, it is possible to encrypt them before saving them, but this requires extra effort.
Differential backup: slower and more voluminous
Differential backup is based on the last full backup. It integrates and updates all changes made in the meantime.
The full backup, the one from which the backups are made, is getting older and older. Consequently, the number of changed items is increasing.
Synchronising them therefore takes longer and takes up more storage space.
Incremental backup: a smooth update
The incremental backup starts from a previous full or incremental copy and allows, once the full backup is complete, a true picture of all data at any given time. Total backup becomes the basis from which to implement a continuous, lightweight backup strategy.
With incremental backup, only newly added items can be duplicated and saved. As a result, space requirements are minimal, backup is easy to manage and updating is fast.
It has a variant also called delta backup , which is an incremental backup whose finer granularity is done at the level of data blocks, and not at the scale of each file.
Why choose incremental backup?
Data recovery, the only advantage of the differential method
The only reason to back up with the differential method rather than incremental is to make data recovery easier. With differential backup, only two versions need to be restored: the original and the most recent. Whereas with an incremental backup, it will be necessary to restore all versions, each with its own information.
Choose a free backup software: Uranium,GoodSync, Nakivo
When choosing between incremental or differential backup, speed and volume criteria are essential. If several backup software offer both, make sure you understand the advantages of each to choose the most suitable solution.
Uranium
Uranium is a backup solution that appeals to a fairly wide audience. In fact, one of its greatest advantages is the possibility of choosing different versions so that you can find the software that really suits your needs. Thanks to its extremely user-friendly interface, you can initialise the solution with just a few clicks. Among the features we like
- possibility of scheduling the backup
- shadow copy
- backup to database or tape
GoodSync
GoodSync is one of the big international names in this field. It offers extensive possibilities to support your backup tasks in the best possible way. Also in terms of storage it offers endless possibilities, NAS or cloud with all the most popular storage systems on the market (Azure, Amazon, Drive, Dropbox..). Among the most interesting features
- synchronisation service
- centralised web console
- remote file access
Nakivo
Nakivo has a specific purpose: to guarantee the security of your data. All this, however, without being a heavy and complicated tool.
You will be supported in every way by the company, you will not have to worry about maintenance and updates. All this with 3 versions available to cater for every possible need. Among its outstanding features
- backup to VMware and cloud
- replication
- real time deduplication
Article translated from Italian