What is backup and what are its types?
People are divided into two types: those who perform backups and those who do not yet. What is backup? Backup is the process of saving working versions of executable and other files for recovery in case of damage. The advantages of backup are self-evident.
What is a backup copy? A backup copy is important data and executable files stored on a separate device, ensuring system stability and data preservation. Backup is essential wherever even slightly important data is stored, and it is also mandatory before system updates or critical software installations.
Types of Backup
There is no one-size-fits-all method for backup. They differ in speed, cost, storage space, and many other parameters. Therefore, different types of backups are used for different tasks. The backup method is a tool that an administrator must know how to apply depending on the tasks at hand.
Full Backup
Full backup involves copying the entire system and all existing files, resulting in a complete copy of all data. This method is simple and reliable. If something goes wrong, anything can be restored because there is a full clone of the existing working system. However, the advantages naturally bring disadvantages. Full backup takes a lot of time, consumes server resources, occupies significant storage, and puts heavy load on the network. In other words, full backup is absolutely necessary but cannot be performed daily.
Differential Backup
Differential backup copies all files that have changed since the last full backup. During restoration, the full backup is loaded along with the updated file versions.
The main disadvantage of differential backup is long recovery time since the entire system is restored. The advantage is that it can be performed more frequently, as it imposes less load on the network and computing resources due to the smaller data volume.
Incremental Backup
Incremental backup is the most technologically advanced method. With this method, backups are regularly created for files changed since the last full backup. It barely loads the network because only small data packets are transmitted. However, restoration is complex: you first restore the last full backup, then sequentially restore each incremental file up to the most recent. Thus, while backup time is saved, recovery becomes more complicated. This method is recommended only as a supplementary solution.
Hybrid Backup
Clearly, all the above backup methods have their advantages and associated disadvantages. The optimal approach is a combination. A hybrid backup merges the full backup with incremental and differential files into a single up-to-date backup file, from which the system can be restored if needed.
After reading this article, the importance of backup should be clear. Backup is a reliable way to protect information. Backup and recovery systems should always be used for any servers. Different types of backups will protect you from data loss or system corruption. On XServer virtual servers, automatic weekly backup is available for free and enabled by default. Our backup software is hosted in a different country, ensuring that backup storage is fully protected.