CompTIA Server+ (SK0-005)Security and Disaster RecoveryMedium
A server administrator is implementing a new backup strategy for a critical database. The strategy involves performing a full backup every Sunday, and then daily backups that only include files that have changed since the LATEST full OR differential backup. This approach aims to reduce backup time and storage space compared to daily full backups, while keeping recovery relatively efficient. Which backup type is being described for the daily backups?
- AIncremental backup
- BSnapshot backup
- CDifferential backup
- DFull backup
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Differential backup
A differential backup copies all data that has changed since the LAST full backup. The scenario states that daily backups include files changed since the 'latest full OR differential backup,' which is a common (though sometimes confusingly worded) way to describe a differential backup that builds upon the most recent full backup.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. An incremental backup copies data changed since the LAST full OR incremental backup.
- B. A snapshot backup captures the state of a system at a specific point in time, often for virtual machines or volumes.
- D. A full backup copies all selected data, regardless of previous backups.
Differential Backup
A backup type that copies all data that has changed since the most recent full backup. Each differential backup builds upon the last full backup.
- Requires the last full backup and the latest differential to restore.
- Faster to restore than incrementals (fewer tapes).
- Takes more space than incremental backups over time.
Memory trick: Differential builds on the Full, Incremental just on the last.