Written Assignment Unit 5
University of the People
Department of Computer Science
CS 3306-01 - DATABASE 2 - AY2025-T2
Dr. Brian Stevens (Instructor)
December 12th, 2024
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INCREMENTAL BACKUP AND DIFFERENTIAL BACKUP
IN THE CONTEXT OF DATABASES, RESTORATION, AND RELIABILITY
Database backup is the process of creating a copy of structured data from databases owned by
individuals, companies, or organizations (Commvault, n.d.). This backup serves as a safeguard,
allowing for the restoration of the original data in case of accidental deletion, corruption, or
cyberattacks (Commvault, n.d.). In hybrid cloud environments, data can be stored both on-
premises and in virtual machines or containers, spread across physical servers and cloud-based
platforms (Commvault, n.d.).
There are various reliable, effective, and efficient database backup techniques that can be
implemented for databases of any scale, regardless of their criticality. As technology continues to
evolve, new and improved backup methods are being developed and deployed, particularly for
real-world data backup in large companies and enterprises. Among the list of available data
backup techniques presented to us, two of which are incremental backup and differential backup
are compared below.
DATABASES
A differential backup is a backup strategy that copies only the data changes made in a database
since the last full backup. In contrast, an incremental backup copies data changes made since the
last backup, whether it was full or incremental (AWS, n.d.). This means that an incremental
backup system will still proceed with backing up whatever changes made to the database
irrespective of whether the change was complete or partial.
RESTORATION
In database restoration, differential backups offer a clear advantage over incremental backups
because the recovery process is simpler and faster. Differential backups only require the last full
backup and the most recent differential backup, reducing the number of steps needed to restore
the database (Acronis, 2023).
On the other hand, incremental backups store changes since the last backup, meaning the
restoration process requires the last full backup along with all subsequent incremental backups up
to the desired point (Acronis, 2023). This adds complexity and time to the process, as each
incremental backup must be applied in sequence (Acronis, 2023). If any incremental backup is
missing or corrupted, it can disrupt the entire restoration process, potentially leading to an
incomplete or failed restoration process.
RELIABILITY
When considering reliability, several factors come to mind, such as the system's performance
speed, data retention quality, the longevity of the storage medium (like tape or hard drive), and
the failsafe mechanisms it offers. These factors are important when selecting the right backup
system for a use case.
In terms of backup speed, incremental backups offer better speed compared to differential
backups. This is because incremental backups focus on smaller chunks of changes, meaning they
can back up data more quickly without waiting for a change to be complete or full before starting
the backup process (Acronis, 2023). However, in terms of data restoration speed, differential
backups offer much better speed. This is because fewer steps are needed for a full restoration
compared to incremental backups, which require sequential restoration by gathering and
combining each incremental backup (Acronis, 2023).
Additionally, differential backups are more reliable in providing an accurate backup state of the
database, with minimal to no loss of data, corruption, or anomalies (Acronis, 2023). This is
something that incremental backups cannot guarantee, as their fundamental structure makes them
more vulnerable to potential issues, such as missing or corrupted backup increments, which can
affect the overall restoration process (Acronis, 2023).
In conclusion, both differential backups and incremental backups have their pros and cons, but
they remain two of the most widely used backup methods across enterprises, companies, and
organizations in today's data-driven world. This is primarily due to their effectiveness, cost-
efficiency, and scalability, which make them suitable for a wide range of backup needs, despite
their flaws.
Reference:
Commvault. (n.d.). Database backup. Metallic.
https://metallic.io/knowledge-center/glossary/database-backup#:~:text=Database%20backup
%20definition,HANA%20and%20Microsoft%20SQL%20Server.
AWS. (n.d.). Incremental vs Differential Backup - Difference Between Data Backup Strategies -
AWS. Amazon Web Services, Inc. https://aws.amazon.com/compare/the-difference-between-
incremental-differential-and-other-backups/#:~:text=A%20differential%20backup%20strategy
%20only,changes%20since%20the%20last%20backup.
Acronis. (2023, September 28). Incremental vs. Differential vs. Full Backup - A Comparison
Guide. https://www.acronis.com/en-gb/blog/posts/incremental-differential-backups/
