Important Types of Backup

There are quite a number of backup types and terms used when it comes to backups of your digital content. This is a compilation of the most common types of backup with a brief explanation of their meaning, common examples, advantages, and disadvantages of each backup type.

Full Backup

Full backup is a method of backup where all the files and folders selected for the backup will be backed up. The advantage of this backup is restored are fast and easy as the complete list of files is stored each time. The disadvantage is that each backup run is time-consuming as the entire list of files is copied again.

Key: Full backups take up a lot more storage space when compared to incremental or differential backups.

Incremental backup

Incremental backup is a backup of all changes made since the last backup. With incremental backups, one full backup is done first and subsequent backup runs are just the changes made since the last backup. The result is a much faster backup then a full backup for each backup run. Storage space used is much less than a full backup and less than with differential backups.

Key: Restores is slower than with a full backup and a differential backup.

Differential backup

Differential backup is a backup of all changes made since the last full backup. With differential backups, one full backup is done first and subsequent backup runs are the changes made since the last full backup. 

The result is a much faster backup then a full backup for each backup run. Storage space used is much less than a full backup but more than with Incremental backups.

Key: Restores is slower than with a full backup but usually faster than with Incremental backups

Mirror Backup

Mirror backups are, as the name suggests a mirror of the source being backed up. With mirror backups, when a file in the source is deleted, that file is eventually also deleted in the mirror backup. 

Key: Because of this, mirror backups should be used with caution as a file that is deleted by accident or through a virus may also cause the mirror backups to be deleted as well.

Full PC Backup or Full Computer Backup

In this backup, it is not the individual files that are backed up but entire images of the hard drives of the computer that is backed up.  With the full PC backup, you can restore the computer hard drives to its exact state when the backup was done. 

Key: With the Full PC backup, not only can the work documents, picture, videos and audio files be restored but the operating system, hardware drivers, system files, registry, programs, emails etc can also be restored.

Local Backup

Local backups are any kind of backup where the storage medium is kept close at hand or in the same building as the source. It could be a backup done on a second internal hard drive, an attached external hard drive, CD/ DVD –ROM or Network Attached Storage (NAS). Local backups protect digital content from hard drive failures and virus attacks. 

Key: They also provide protection from accidental mistakes or deletes. Since the backups are always close at hand they are fast and convenient to restore.

Offsite Backup

When the backup storage media is kept at a different geographic location from the source, this is known as an offsite backup. The backup may be done locally at first but once the storage medium is brought to another location, it becomes an offsite backup.  

Examples of offsite backup include taking the backup media or hard drive home, to another office building or to a bank safe deposit box.

Key: Beside the same protection offered by local backups, offsite backups provide additional protection from theft, fire, floods and other natural disasters.

Online Backup

These are backups that are ongoing or done continuously or frequently to a storage medium that is always connected to the source being backed up. Typically the storage medium is located off-site and connected to the backup source by a network or Internet connection. 

Key: It does not involve human intervention to plug in drives and storage media for backups to run.

Remote Backup

Remote backups are a form of off-site backup with a difference being that you can access, restore or administer the backups while located at your source location or other location. You do not need to be physically present at the backup storage facility to access the backups. 

For example, putting your backup hard drive in your bank safe deposit box would not be considered a remote backup. 

Key: Online backups are usually considered remote backups as well.

Cloud Backup

This term is often used interchangeably with Online Backup and Remote Backup.  It is where data is backed up to a service or storage facility connected to the Internet. 

Key: With the proper login credentials, that backup can then be accessed or restored from any other computer with Internet Access

FTP Backup

This is a kind of backup where the backup is done via FTP (File Transfer Protocol) over the Internet to an FTP Server. Typically the FTP Server has located in a commercial data center away from the source data being backed up. 

Key: When the FTP server is located at a different location, this is another form of offsite backup.