All about Backup
SOFTWARE, ARTICLES, REVIEWS

Incremental Backup Method

Incrementals are usually done more often than full backups. This method is based on sequential partial backup copy refreshing. Incremental backup provides a much faster method of backing up data than repeatedly running full backups. During an incremental backup only the files that have changed since the most last full, differential or incremential backup are included. That is where it gets its name: each backup is an increment since the most recent backup.
Backup levels are used to distinguish between different types of backups. A level 0 is a full backup. A level 1 incremental means backing up everything that has modified since the last level 0. A level 2 incremental copies all the files that have modified since the last level 1 and so on.

Download backup software for incremental backup.



The advantage of lower backup times comes with a price: increased restore time.When restoring from incremental backup, you need the most recent full backup as well as every incremental backup you've made since the last full backup. For example, if you did a full backup on Friday and incrementals on Monday,Tuesday and Wednesday, and the PC crashes Thursday morning, you would need all four backup container files: Friday's full backup plus the incremental backup for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. As a comparison, if you had done differential backup on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, then to restore on Thursday morning you'd only need Friday's full backup plus Wednesday's differential.

Advantages: backing up is the fastest, the storage space requirements are the lowest.
Disadvantages: restore is the slowest.

See also: Differential Backup Method