Types of Data Backup
15 Jun 2021 IT Services
Unexpected data loss or corruption can be disastrous for any type of business. This lost data can be impossible to recover, putting a halt to business operations or severely reducing productivity until a solution is found. Data loss is never an expected occurrence. That is why the best way to handle data loss is to ensure that it is never fully lost in the first place. As leading providers of backup services, the team at Next Hop Solutions understands the importance of securing your vital data. That is why their experts have compiled some information on the type of data backup and how they are used.
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Understanding the Types of Data Backup
Whether you are backing your data up to a cloud-based server or a local hard drive, it is important to understand the types of data backup. There are three main types to consider:
Full
A full data backup is the most comprehensive solution for data security. It involves cloning all selected data including files, folders, SaaS applications, and more. One of the main benefits of a full data backup is the minimal time required to fully restore lost or corrupted data. However, since all files are backed up at once, this process takes the most amount of time to complete. Full data backups ensure complete data recovery, but frequent backups can quickly overload storage space. That is why most businesses will run a full data backup on a weekly or monthly basis, supplementing the space between them with incremental and differential backups.
Incremental
Incremental is a type of data backup that is run more frequently than full backups. Instead of backing up every file, incremental backup focuses on securing files that have been created or modified since the last full backup or differential backup. Incremental backup allows you to restore data faster than full backups and does not occupy as much hard drive space. Most businesses will manually run a full backup and follow up with several automated incremental and differential backups.
Differential
A differential backup has the same basic structure as an incremental backup in the sense that it only backs up new or modified files. However, with this type, all the files created since the original backup will be copied again. This means that it will store more data than an incremental backup, but data recovery will be much faster.
To learn more about the importance of data backup and our IT services, reach out to the team at Next Hop Solutions. Their experts can be contacted through their online contact form and are ready to assist you with your company’s IT needs.
