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Module 4 Backup Types

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24 views

Module 4 Backup Types

Uploaded by

Ayush Sinha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DATABASE BACKUPS

Database backups play a critical role in ensuring data integrity and availability, which are essential
for maintaining reliable and uninterrupted operations in any system. Backups are used to protect
data from accidental loss, hardware failures, malicious attacks, or corruption. They help restore a
database to a consistent state, minimizing downtime and preventing loss of critical information.

Significance of Database Backups

1. Data Integrity: Backups ensure that the data remains consistent and accurate, even in the
event of failures or unexpected issues. Restoring from a backup helps recover from data
corruption or accidental deletion.

2. Availability: Backups ensure that a database can be restored quickly to minimize downtime.
This is critical for businesses that require continuous access to their data to maintain
operations.

3. Disaster Recovery: Backups form the cornerstone of any disaster recovery plan, allowing
organizations to recover from catastrophic failures like system crashes, cyberattacks, or
natural disasters.

Types of Database Backups

1. Full Backup

• Description: A full backup captures a complete copy of the entire database, including all its
data, system files, and structures at a given point in time.

• Pros: Easy to restore, as all data is captured in one backup file.

• Cons: Takes up significant storage space and takes longer to create, especially for large
databases.

• Scenario: Full backups are often used for small to medium-sized databases where the
amount of data is manageable, or for systems where downtime during backup creation is
acceptable. For example, a small e-commerce website may perform full backups nightly
to ensure all data is fully captured.

2. Differential Backup

• Description: A differential backup captures only the changes made since the last full
backup. This results in faster backup creation than full backups, as only modified data is
copied.

• Pros: Faster than a full backup and requires less storage. Restoring is faster than using
transaction log backups since only the full and latest differential backup are needed.

• Cons: As time progresses, the size of differential backups can increase significantly until the
next full backup is made.
• Scenario: Differential backups are suitable for medium to large databases where full
backups are too time-consuming. For example, a corporate payroll system might take a full
backup every Sunday and a differential backup daily to capture the week's changes without
the need for a full backup every day.

3. Transaction Log Backup

• Description: A transaction log backup captures all the transactions that have occurred since
the last transaction log backup. It tracks each operation, ensuring that data can be recovered
to any point in time.

• Pros: Allows point-in-time recovery, which is critical for systems requiring high availability.
Small in size compared to full or differential backups.

• Cons: More complex restoration process, as it requires the last full backup, the most recent
differential backup (if any), and all transaction log backups made since then.

• Scenario: Transaction log backups are ideal for high-transaction, mission-critical systems
that need point-in-time recovery capabilities, such as financial systems, banking
databases, or real-time inventory management systems.

Comparison Summary

Backup Type What it Pros Cons Best Use Case


Captures

Full Backup Entire database Easy to restore, Time- Small databases, low
simple process consuming, data change rate
large storage

Differential Changes since Faster than full Increases in size Large databases with
Backup the last full backups, over time moderate changes
backup smaller size

Transaction Changes since Allows point-in- Complex High-transaction


Log Backup last transaction time recovery restoration systems (e.g.,
log finance, banking)

Real-World Examples

1. Full Backup Example: A retail company running a small customer relationship


management (CRM) system may choose to perform a full backup each night when customer
activity is low. The full backup ensures the entire database is captured regularly without
requiring much effort or storage space.

2. Differential Backup Example: A university's student information system could implement


a backup strategy where a full backup is taken every Sunday, and differential backups are
done each weekday. This approach ensures daily changes (new admissions, grades, course
registrations) are captured, without the time and storage demands of full daily backups.

3. Transaction Log Backup Example: A stock trading platform that processes transactions in
real-time would need transaction log backups. These backups allow the system to recover to
any point in time in case of system failure, ensuring minimal data loss during a crucial period
of trading activity.

By combining different backup strategies, organizations can strike a balance between data
protection, storage management, and recovery speed.

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