Types of Cloud Backups: Full, Incremental, and Differential

With the increasing volume and critical nature of data, it has become imperative for businesses to adopt effective backup strategies to safeguard against data loss. Business data backup can primarily be bifurcated into three categories: Full, Incremental, and Differential backups.

In this blog, we will understand the unique characteristics and advantages of the different types of backups and provide a comparison between incremental vs differential vs partial backup.

What is Cloud Backup?

Cloud backup is the process of creating and maintaining copies of electronic information to protect it from loss. The primary purpose of data backup is to ensure that, in the event of accidental deletion, hardware failure, data corruption, cyber-attacks, or other unforeseen disasters, there are copies of the data that can be restored.

Cloud backup is primarily of three types:

1. Full Backup
2. Incremental Backup
3. Differential Backup

Let us discuss these three types of backups in detail,

Full Backup

A full backup is the most basic type of cloud backup process, involving the duplication of the entire dataset. It creates a complete copy of all selected files and folders, regardless of whether they have been modified since the last backup.

A full backup ensures that every piece of data is duplicated, providing a comprehensive safety net against data loss. It serves as a baseline for backup strategies and is often used in conjunction with other backup types to create a comprehensive data protection plan.

Example: Consider a business with a file server containing important documents, databases, and system files. The organization decided to perform a full backup of the server's data weekly for data protection.

The backup process starts with selecting all data to be included in the backup. The backup operation is initiated using backup software or built-in backup features provided by the operating system.

The copied data is stored as a snapshot, creating a mirror image of the entire dataset at the time of the backup. This snapshot represents a point-in-time view of the server's data.

The backup system generates logs and metadata detailing the backup operation. This information includes the date and time of the backup, the size of the data copied, and any relevant details for future reference.

Incremental Backup

An incremental backup is designed to optimize storage space and reduce the time required for regular backups. Unlike a full backup, which duplicates the entire dataset, an incremental backup focuses on capturing only the changes made since the last backup, offering a more resource-efficient solution.

Incremental backups provide an efficient and effective way to capture changes in data without duplicating the entire dataset. When combined with full backups, they contribute to a comprehensive data protection strategy, offering a balance between resource optimization and data recovery capabilities.

Example: Imagine the same business with a weekly full backup strategy now implementing incremental backups daily would be effective to capture changes more frequently.

Similar to a full backup, the process begins with selecting the data to be included in the backup. However, instead of copying all data, only the files and folders that have been modified since the last backup are identified.

Only the modified or new files since the last backup are transferred to the backup destination. This significantly reduces the amount of data transferred and the time required for the backup process.

The copied data is stored separately, creating an incremental snapshot that complements the last full backup. This process results in a series of incremental backups, each capturing changes made since the previous backup.

Differential Backup

Differential backups, like incremental backups, focus on capturing changes. However, instead of capturing changes since the last backup, differential backups capture changes since the last full backup. This approach focuses on capturing changes made since the last full backup, providing a more straightforward restoration process compared to incremental backups.

A differential backup strikes a balance between the comprehensive nature of a full backup and the efficiency of an incremental backup. When integrated into a backup strategy, it provides a practical solution for organizations seeking a compromise between resource optimization and simplicity in the data recovery process.

Example: Continuing with our business example, where full backups are performed weekly, let's introduce a differential backup strategy to capture changes since the last full backup on a daily basis.

Similar to both full and incremental backups, the process begins with selecting the data to be included in the backup. However, in the case of a differential backup, only the files and folders that have been modified since the last full backup are identified.

Unlike incremental backups that capture changes since the last backup (whether full or incremental), differential backups transfer and store all changes made since the last full backup. This includes all modifications since the last backup, regardless of whether they occurred during previous differential backups.

The copied data is stored as a differential snapshot, representing all changes since the last full backup. This creates a series of differential backups, each capturing changes from the last full backup up to the current point in time.

Full vs Incremental vs Differential Backup

The table given below provides a concise overview of the key characteristics of each backup type, helping to understand their strengths, weaknesses, and use cases.

How to choose the data backup?

Choosing the appropriate type of data backup depends on various factors, including the nature of your data, your organization's needs, available resources, and recovery objectives. Here are some considerations to help you decide which type of data backup is suitable for your specific situation:

1. Criticality of Data: The choice of the type of data backup largely depends on the criticality or importance of the business data. For example, if all data is critical and needs to be restored quickly in the event of data loss, then full backup might be more effective.
2. Frequency of Changes: Another factor that determines the choice of backup type is the frequency at which data changes. For example, if the data changes regularly, and you want to minimize the amount of data transferred during backups by choosing incremental backup.
3. Restoration Time Objectives: Data restoration priority also influences the choice of the type of backup. For example, a differential backup will be fruitful if you want a balance between restoration time and resource efficiency.

In many cases, a combination of backup types may be the most effective strategy. For example, using frequent incremental backups for daily changes and periodic full or differential backups for more comprehensive snapshots. The choice ultimately depends on your specific needs, priorities, and the characteristics of your data and IT environment.

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Key Features of Webtel’s Business Backup Services:

1. Quick Deployment: With Webtel, get your backup solution up and running swiftly. Quick deployment ensures that your data protection strategy is implemented without disrupting your business operations.
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3. Ensured Security: Security is paramount in data synchronization. Webtel guarantees reliability and security at every step of your data synchronization journey, protecting your sensitive business information from unauthorized access.
4. Seamless Data Restore: Webtel’s solution allows backup scanning in non-endpoint environments with integrated antimalware scanning for secure restores.
5. Data Protection Map: Webtel’s backup services provide a data protection map, tracking data across machines and monitoring the protection status of files.

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