Is incremental copy print the best option for cloud backup?

We have already talked on other occasions about the different types of backups, their advantages and disadvantages. Today we will see them again, also reviewing the convenience of their use when we try to make backup copies online or in the cloud, and more specifically trying to decide if the incremental copy is the best option.

Surely you have heard many horror stories of companies having to close due to a data loss problem. And you may have also heard that data loss could have been prevented by a cloud data backup protocol. So you may have already done your research, tried a few solutions, and thought about what is the best solution for your company's needs.

Then it's time to start sending data to your cloud provider's servers. But do you really understand how your data is being copied?

Full Backup (Level 0)

Every backup process, whether online or onsite, should start with a full backup of all your files.

With a full backup, all files and folders, anything that needs to be backed up, will be backed up in their entirety. If you choose the full backup method as the default, the next time you back up your data (and on subsequent backup operations), files and folders will be fully backed up again.

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A full backup does not necessarily mean that you have to back up your entire operating system including program files. First of all, it is necessary to think about what we want to back up and make a selection. Nowadays it seems interesting to back up everything, since storage has become very cheap. 

Some companies also perform regular full backups (such as weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly) after multiple instances of incremental or differential backups.

A full online backup will take a long time, depending on the number of files you have. That is why it is important not to rely only on online backup, but also to have a local backup of all files.

Advantages of full backups

• Quick and easy recovery as complete data is readily available.
• Easy version control

Disadvantages of full backups

• It takes too long to make it interesting to have it as the default for every day.

Incremental Copy (Differential Incremental Copy)

Most online backup services use this technique because it is the most efficient when it comes to transferring files over the Internet, but also for local backup, it can speed up the process a bit.

Incremental copy will copy any files that have changed since the last backup, regardless of whether the backup was full or incremental.

On Tuesday night, another incremental copy backs up files that have changed since Monday night, and so on for days afterward.

The primary purpose of incremental backup is to shorten the time interval between backups, which requires less data to back up.

If you are using online backup or LAN backup, incremental copy will save you a lot of bandwidth, which in turn significantly speeds up the backup process.

 

Advantages of incremental backups

• Allows you to have copies of multiple versions of the same files.
• It generally requires less bandwidth and less time than the other types to back up, making it ideal for online backups.

Disadvantages of incremental backups

• Slower recovery, since you have to restore all the increments.
• If one of the backups (either full or incremental) fails, the recovery will be incomplete. 

 

Differential Backup (cumulative incremental backup)

When a full backup is complete, your backup software can continue with an incremental backup, which only copies files that have changed since the last full backup. Note that we have called this second step incremental copy because it is actually the same as in the previous case. 

As we've seen, this is actually an incremental copy from Friday's. The change comes from Tuesday. On Tuesday night, the differential backup will copy all the files that changed on both Monday and Tuesday. Then, on Wednesday night, it will back up all the files that changed on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and so on.

In short, differential backups are cumulative incremental backups.

Advantages of Differential Backups

• Less storage space (disk, tape, or network drive) is required compared to doing a daily full copy.
• It allows having multiple versions of the same files.

Disadvantages of Differential Backups

• Backups slower than incremental backup.
• It requires more space than the incremental copy.
• The restore is also slower than with the incremental copy.