CompTIA Tech+ (FC0-U71)Data and Database FundamentalsMedium
A company performs a full backup every Sunday night and an incremental backup every other night of the week. What data does Wednesday night's incremental backup capture?
- AOnly data changed since Tuesday night's incremental backup
- BOnly data changed since Monday night's incremental backup
- CAll data changed since Sunday's full backup
- DAll data in the entire system, regardless of changes
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Only data changed since Tuesday night's incremental backup
An incremental backup only captures changes made since the most recent backup of any type, whether full or incremental. Since Tuesday night's incremental backup was the most recent backup before Wednesday, Wednesday's backup only includes changes made since then.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Monday's backup is not the most recent reference point; Tuesday's is.
- C. This describes a differential backup, not an incremental backup.
- D. This describes a full backup, which incremental backups avoid duplicating.
Incremental Backup
An incremental backup captures only the data that has changed since the most recent backup of any type (full or incremental), making it faster but requiring the full chain to restore.
- Backs up changes since the LAST backup (any type)
- Faster and smaller than full backups
- Requires full backup plus every incremental since to restore
Memory trick: Incremental = 'Since the Immediately-preceding' backup