What is an Incremental Backup?

Understanding incremental backups: A reliable approach to efficient data backup and storage.

Incremental backup is a backup method that focuses on capturing and storing only the changes made to data since the last full or incremental backup. It provides an efficient way to back up large amounts of data while minimizing storage space requirements and backup duration.

In an incremental backup strategy, the initial backup is a full backup where all data is copied to the backup storage. Subsequent backups only capture and store the changed or new data since the last backup. This means that each incremental backup contains only the modified or added files, significantly reducing the backup size and time.

During a restore process, all the incremental backups since the last full backup are combined, allowing for the complete restoration of data. The full backup serves as the foundation, while the incremental backups provide the incremental changes needed to bring the data up to the desired restore point.

Incremental backups offer several advantages. They consume less storage space compared to full backups since they only store the changes. Additionally, the backup process is faster as it only needs to handle the modified or new data.

However, it's important to note that restoring data from incremental backups can be more time-consuming than restoring from a full backup. This is because the restore process involves merging multiple incremental backups to reconstruct the complete dataset.

To ensure effective implementation of incremental backups, it is crucial to select a backup solution that supports this method. Many backup tools, such as Acronis, NAKIVO, and Veeam, provide incremental backup functionality along with other features for data protection.

When choosing a backup solution, consider factors like ease of use, reliability, security, and cost, along with the specific requirements of your organization. Incremental backups are particularly useful in scenarios where large amounts of data need to be backed up frequently while optimizing storage space and backup duration.