Backup or data backup, in its simplest explanation, is the copying of data from one device to another independent media. Its main purpose is to enable the recovery of files and information in the event of loss, such as through failure, theft, or accidental deletion. Backup also has the advantage of providing access to previous versions of files.
- Magnetic tapes - most commonly used for very large amounts of data due to their low cost,
- HDDs - a more expensive solution than tapes, but characterized by high availability, speed, high capacity and ease of use,
- SSDs - are an alternative to HDDs, their prices are higher, but they offer faster storage and greater durability due to the absence of moving parts.
- Remote copies - transfer via a local network or the Internet to server drives in data centers. This protects them from the effects of natural disasters.
- full copy - involves copying all available files. This method is used to create an exact duplicate of the entire collection. It can be accessed in a similar way as the original files, so it is easy to restore them. Despite its convenience, this solution has one major drawback - it takes a lot of time, so performing it several times a day, or even once a day would be very problematic.
- incremental copy - duplicates only those files that have been created or modified since the previous copy was made. Restoring them in this case requires the reproduction of each successive saved copy, up to the first full copy. This method saves a lot of time because it covers much smaller amounts of data at a time. This type of backup can also be divided by its level - file-based and block-based. In the first case, entire files that have changed are copied. In the second case, each file is divided into smaller parts - blocks. The backup software then compares the differences in individual blocks, not whole files. If we make a small change in a large file, then the system will save only the changed section.
- differential copy - the principle of operation is almost the same as that of incremental copy. The difference between the two is that if the files have already been placed in the differential copy, they will be backed up again. As a result, the last differential copy and the full copy are sufficient to recover the data.
Theoretically, all three methods can be done without any additional tools. However, while the first one is relatively simple, the other two would be extremely time-consuming. For this reason, a much better solution would be to use the appropriate and customized software that we propose, which will definitely simplify the entire process.
Data backup created according to good practices is the only way to fully protect against the loss of important information. It allows you to recover it even in cases such as:
- device failure,
- media damage,
- accidental deletion,
- device theft or loss,
- malware attack.
Lack of adequate security can lead to very serious consequences. This is especially true for businesses, where data is one of the most important resources. Their loss can mean business downtime and financial consequences that can exceed the cost of implementing a backup system many times over. An example would be the loss of access to the hard drive containing HR and payroll data. This information is essential to the operation of the company, so if you do not have a backup, it will be lost in the event of an outage.
The most important argument, however, is that the amount of time and money you need to invest in creating a backup is far less than the cost of recovering or restoring lost data.
