The different types of data backup are –
Full backup
It is a full copy of the entire dataset. Performed periodically.
Advantages-
- Provide the best (complete) protection
- Instant access to data – no restoration and rebuilding processes necessary
Drawbacks-
- Time-consuming to backup
- Expensive – require additional resources
Incremental backup
An incremental backup only backs up the data that has changed since the previous backup. The previous backup can be a full, incremental, or a differential backup.
Advantages-
- Decreases the time taken to backup (as compared to a full backup)
Drawbacks-
- Time-consuming to restore and rebuild the data to make it a complete and current
Differential backup
A differential backup is similar to an incremental backup in that it starts with a full backup, and subsequent backups only contain data that has changed. The difference is that while an incremental backup only includes the data that has changed since the previous backup, a differential backup contains all of the data that has changed since the last full backup.
Advantages-
- Takes less time than a full-backup
- Takes less time to restore data, as compared to an incremental back-up
Drawbacks-
- More expensive than an incremental data, as with time the amount of data being backed-up grows