Difference between incremental backup and differential backup
Incremental and differential backups are two essential strategies used to protect data against loss, corruption, or disaster. These backup methods offer efficient ways to save and restore data by focusing on changes made since the last full backup or the previous backup session. This article will discuss the differences between incremental and differential backups, exploring their advantages, disadvantages, and best use cases
Introduction to Incremental backup and Differential Backup
1. Incremental Backup
Incremental backup only preserves the data that has been changed from the last full backup or incremental backup. This type of backup uses less storage and can do backup and recovery quickly. The data in this type of backup contains redundancy as recovery includes last full backup and all the incremental backups.
Recovery in Incremental Backup
2. Differential Backup
Differential backup only preserves data change from the last full backup. This type of backup uses more memory as it saves all the data changes since last full backup. It contains less redundant data and recovery is easy but the time needed for creating backup is high.
Recovery in Differential Backup
Difference between incremental backup and differential backup
| S. No. | Incremental Backup | Differential Backup |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | In this type of backup successive copies of data contains only the changed part since the preceding backup copy was made. | In this type of backup only the difference in the data from last full backup is saved. |
| 2. | It has more redundant data than differential backup. | Differential backup contains less redundant data. |
| 3. | Recovery is difficult in this type of backup. | Recovery is easy as compared to incremental backup. |
| 4. | It takes less time to create a backup. | It takes more time to create backup than an incremental backup. |
| 5. | It takes less data storage space to create a backup. | The memory taken to create a backup is more as compared to incremental backup. |
| 6. | Incremental backup uses less bandwidth. | Differential backup uses more bandwidth than an incremental backup. |
| 7. | It requires less bandwidth. | It also requires less bandwidth but is greater than an incremental backup. |
| 8. |
When to use?
|
When to use?
|
| 9. |
Advantages-
|
Advantages-
|
| 10. |
Disadvantages-
|
Disadvantages-
|
Conclusion
Both incremental and differential backups play crucial roles in effective data protection strategies. Incremental backups are efficient and quick, capturing only the changes since the last backup, which conserves storage space and reduces backup time. On the other hand, differential backups, while requiring more storage, offer faster recovery times by backing up all changes since the last full backup. Choosing the right backup method depends on your specific needs, including the frequency of data changes, available storage, and recovery time objectives.
Incremental backup and differential backup-FAQs
Which backup method is faster among incremental backup and differential backup?
Incremental backups are faster to create because they involve less data, as they only capture changes since the last backup of any type.
Which backup method offers faster recovery?
Differential backups are faster for recovery because you only need the last full backup and the most recent differential backup, unlike incremental backups, which require all backups since the last full one.
Which backup methods require less storage ?
Incremental backups generally require less storage space because they only include changes since the last backup. Differential backups require more storage as they accumulate all changes since the last full backup.
Contact Us