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Differential Backup



Differential Backup

A differential backup includes all files that were created or modified since last full  backup.

Note the difference between incremental and differential: incremental backups save files changed since the last (incremental or full) backup, whereas differential backups save files changed since the last full backup.

The advantages over full backups are that it is quicker and use less media. The advantage over an incremental backup is that the restore process is more efficient - at worst, the restore will require only the latest differential backup set and the latest full backup set, whereas an incremental backup could require all incremental backup sets and the full backup set.

The disadvantage of a differential backup is that longer and longer time is needed to perform them. The amount of data backed up each time following the full backup gets larger and larger. Compared to incremental backups, differential backups are more wasteful of time and media - each backup would store much of the same information plus the latest information added or created since the last full backup.


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