Types of Backups: Full, Incremental, and Differential Explained

[johny899]

Have you ever lost a crucial file and wished you had saved a backup some place? I have been there too! That is when I learned how valuable backups are. Backups will help you feel at ease that your data will always be safe, even if your system crashes or if it gets deleted, and you will not have to worry. Now let’s cover the three main types of backups: Full Backups, Incremental Backups, and Differential Backups.

Full Backup - Everything in One Backup​

A full backup is the creation of a copy of all your data (files, folders, and settings) all at once. This is similar to taking a snap shot of your system in one moment of time.

Pros:

• Easy to restore: You have everything restored with one file.
• Simple to manage: You don’t have to keep track of multiple backup files.

Cons:

Takes longer and more space: Since it will copy everything, it will take more storage.

I personally do a full backup one time a week, and then I will use other backup types for back ups daily. This helps save time and space.

Incremental Backup - Just the Changes​

An incremental backup only saves what's different since your last backup; it's not going to save everything again, just the new or updated files.

Benefits:

• Fast and light: You only save new files.
• Space-saving: Ideal for cloud backups and smaller hard drives.

Drawback:

To restore everything, you will need the full backup plus each incremental backup since then. If one file in that incremental sequence is missing, it may be difficult to recover all the lost data.

Differential Backup - Both​

A differential backup saves the items that have changed since the last full backup. It's a compromise between full and incremental backups.

Benefits:

• Faster than full backups.
• Easier to restore than incremental - you only need the full backup and the last differential backup.

Drawback:

Differentials will get bigger every day until you perform a new full backup.

In Conclusion,​

So, which backup type is best? It depends on your needs.

• Choose Full Backup if simplicity is important to you.
• Go with Incremental Backup if speed and efficiency are most important.
• Choose Differential Backup as a balance between full and incremental.

I personally use all three backup types - a full backup weekly and the incremental backups in between. It is simple, safe and prevents me from losing files that are important.