Definition of a computer backup

Far from being an insignificant action, computer back-up can save you from a whole host of problems and even disasters! We don't think about it enough, but what would we do if we lost all our company data? By ensuring regular and effective computer back-ups, you can avoid losing vital information. But what exactly is computer backup?

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Computer backup: definition

A computer backup is an action to protect the data contained in your computer system by making it safe, usually remotely from your own server.
There are several types of computer backup:

• Full backup
• incremental backup
• differential backup
• delta backup

Why is computer backup essential for businesses?

Who hasn't deleted a file by mistake or made a mistake that makes it impossible to retrieve a file? To guard against all these eventualities, you need to make a copy of your computer data on an independent server.
Fire, theft, flood - you're not immune to damage caused by natural disasters or dishonest intrusion into your business, which would leave you quite helpless. That's why it's so important to choose the right backup method and establish a genuine backup strategy. Define the back-ups you wish to protect, the frequency with which they will be made and the method of action. And don't forget to draw up a data recovery plan to be applied in the aftermath of a disaster, so you're not left without resources and can't get your business back up and running quickly.

The different types of backup

There are several ways of guaranteeing that your data will last. It's up to you to choose the one best suited to your business and the capabilities of your IT system. To give you a better idea, here are the backup options you can choose from:

Full backup

As its name suggests, this is the most complete. It involves making a complete copy of all your data, which is then transmitted to a remote server or an external medium.
Benefits :

• This is the most faithful image of what your computer system contains.
• You will be able to obtain an archiving function, i.e. you will keep track of data modifications at a given time. Need to find a modification on a specific date?

The disadvantages:

• This type of computer backup can slow down your computer system because the files are sometimes very large.
• It requires a lot of storage space.

Incremental backup

With this type of backup, you do not copy all your data but only select the items that have been modified since the previous incremental backup. In fact, the backup will select the modified data and write it to the new image. There's no need to re-enter all your data.
Benefits:

• It's faster and much more efficient because it focuses on a smaller amount of data.
• It requires less storage space.

Cons:

• To restore your computer system, you need all the previous backups, which will end up recreating the total backup. But beware of the risk of errors! Putting together a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces quickly shows its limitations.

Differential backup

This uses the same principle as the incremental backup, but only takes into account files that have changed. However, the image kept for modifications is that of the last full backup. Any changes made in between no longer count.
The pluses:

• More reliable than incremental backup.
• Data is recovered more quickly when you need to restore your computer system. There's no need to do a jigsaw puzzle, as it's based on the last full backup.

The disadvantages:

• It takes longer to complete than an incremental computer backup.
• It also requires more storage space.

Delta backup

This is where we get into detail and finesse. This is a backup of predefined elements. The work is focused on a few items of information and not on a complete file.
Benefits:

• It doesn't require a lot of storage space.
• Very fast.

Minuses:

• It is only useful when little data changes. In other words, for a company that works all week on its computer system and makes a lot of changes, this backup will soon be insufficient.

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Criteria to consider when choosing your computer backup

Of course, before opting for a particular type of computer backup, you need to define your needs and expectations precisely. But you also need to choose an outsourced medium or backup software that is suited to the volume of data to be stored. You should also think about the speed at which your information is transferred and the slowness that this can cause on your system.

Make sure that the medium you have selected to store your data is really reliable and secure. Also check how easy it will be to restore your data in the event of a problem. You'll be in enough trouble that you won't have to go through hundreds of operations to restore your system. Finally, calculate the cost of this backup and take advantage of the competition!