As you plan to invest in data backups and recovery strategies, you should first know the types of data backups available. Each type of data requires a specific backup system that suits it. Unfortunately, most business owners tend to back up their data without considering the type of backup solution that suits their data and business needs.

Not all data backup solutions are equal, so you need to invest in the type of data backup solution that fulfills your needs. That way, you can feel that your data is safe and well-protected from any loss. Failure to back up data using the right strategy can result in data loss, which can be detrimental to small businesses.

Run a Full Backup

Full backup solutions are straightforward and involve copying files to some backup storage. Immediately after the backup begins, it doesn’t complete until all the files get copied. However, full backups can take up much space, which is costly to maintain.

If you consider running nightly backups, you’ll copy data several times. Unfortunately, copying all those files takes time. Also, performing a full backup on off-hours can be difficult if your data is too large and your window for backup is too short.

Differential Backups

A differential backup occurs when you copy the data you changed or adjusted since the last full backup. It focuses mainly on changes in data since the previous full backup. With this type of backup, the number of backup sizes will grow over time.

The more changes you have in data, the more files you’ll need to back up with differential backups. As a result, it makes the backup time variable. But to perform a restoration, you’ll only need the last full backup and the specific differential backup.

Incremental Backups

Incremental backups involve copying changes in data from the previous backup. For instance, if you performed a full backup in January, an incremental backup in March will only copy the data changed in that duration. So, incremental backups take less time.

When restoring data, you’ll need a full backup and all the incremental backups until the recovery time. Although this data recovery process might take longer, it’s a little simpler to manage. However, you must maintain all incremental backups for a restore.

Define Your Data Backup & Recovery Plan

Now that you know the three types of data backups, invest in a backup strategy that suits your needs, whether differential or incremental. All you need to do is define your data backup and recovery plan, then consult reputable experts to help you back up your data. The good news is that Enstep can provide you with reliable data backup solutions.

Contact us today to discover more about our data backup and recovery solutions.