The three backup types
- Full backup. A complete copy of all selected data on every run. It provides the simplest and fastest recovery, but takes the most space and the longest time to produce.
- Incremental backup. Copies only data changed since the previous backup, whatever its type. It is fast and space-efficient, but recovery requires the latest full backup and the entire chain of incrementals.
- Differential backup. Copies only data changed since the latest full backup. It is a middle ground: larger than an incremental, but recovery requires only the latest full and latest differential backups.
How to choose
| Type | Storage | Backup speed | Recovery speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full | High | Slow | Fast |
| Incremental | Low | Fast | Slower, as the chain must be rebuilt |
| Differential | Medium | Medium | Fast, using two elements |
In practice, organisations combine a periodic full backup with incremental or differential backups in between. Oxibox shortens the backup window through deduplication and parallel data streams, and encrypts data at source, so plaintext data is never transferred.
What matters most: recovery
The backup type determines how copies are produced. Recovery planning must also measure restore speed and verify that restore points can boot. Oxibox uses R2V recovery to restart systems within minutes from validated, disconnected restore points.