Data is a significant asset in today’s digital world. Organizations and individuals use data to train AI, predict future trends, and make smart decisions. Here is where data integrity comes in.
Cyberattacks and ransomware can hamstring any business. In such cases, it is crucial to have a good backup option. The backup solution will allow you to resume normalcy in case of a data breach.
Incremental backup is one method that can help businesses secure data by saving recent changes made to the files. In this guide, you will learn the answer to the question what is incremental backup, its benefits, and why it is better than other backup methods.
What Is Incremental Backup?
Incremental backup is a method that captures and stores changes made on files since the last backup. This backup method is different from a full backup, which copies all the data to the database.
This backup option reduces the backup time and can work on less bandwidth. It also conserves resources and uses less storage space. Incremental backup identifies new or modified files and updates the database with the latest changes.
Why Choose Incremental Backup?
As mentioned, incremental backup requires less time as they only capture updates made on the files. This is quite efficient, especially for businesses dealing with high volumes of data.
Updating the database with changes only minimizes storage requirements. Look at it this way: doing a full backup means you end up with multiple copies of the data stored in the database. However, with incremental backup, you only update the original copy of the data.
This backup method also uses less resources. Servers and internet costs can be hefty when transferring large amounts of data. Moreover, doing full backups may overload the servers and internet speeds. Incremental backup allows the business to optimize its network and has benefits when performing remote or cloud-based backups.
Incremental backup makes it easier to restore the data in case of a cyberattack or DoS (denial of service). You can restore the full backup and follow up incremental backups to your desired snapshot or recovery point.
Other Backup Options
Besides incremental backup, businesses can also implement other backup options to create a comprehensive disaster recovery plan. Full backup creates a copy of all the files and folders. It is comprehensive but is resource heavy, and recovery can take a long time.
Differential backup is similar to incremental backup. Each differential backup includes all changes since the last full backup. It is faster when recovering data but requires massive storage as the size grows significantly.
Mirror backups allow users to create a copy of the original database. The only downside is that it doesn’t provide snapshots or versioning recovery options.
Wrapping Up
Data integrity and safety are critical concerns for any business or individual. Having a data backup is essential should an attack occur. There are many backup options available, but the best of them all is incremental backup.
It allows businesses to use limited resources while keeping their data safe and secure. Recovery is swift, and you can select your preferred recovery point depending on integrity and breaches that may have occurred.
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