Overview
This article will demystify the core concepts behind modern data backup strategies, focusing on the fundamental differences between the "first backup" (often referred to as a full backup) and subsequent "incremental backups." Understanding these distinctions is crucial for anyone managing data, from individual users to large enterprises, as they directly impact backup speed, storage consumption, recovery time, and overall data resilience.
First Backup (Full Backup)
Initial Configuration: Once the Druva inSync client is installed and configured on the endpoint device and the user is assigned a backup profile, the first backup is initiated based on the defined schedule or can be triggered manually.
Data Scan: The inSync client on the endpoint begins by scanning all the folders, files, and system settings (if configured for Persona Backup) that fall under the scope of the backup policy defined in the user's profile.
Data Transfer: All the identified data blocks from the selected sources are then transferred to the Druva Cloud.
Snapshot Creation: Once the initial full backup is complete, Druva inSync creates a full snapshot of the backed-up data in the cloud. This snapshot represents a complete point-in-time image of the protected data.
Incremental Backups (Subsequent Backups)
Scheduled or Manual Initiation: Subsequent backups occur automatically based on the schedule defined in the backup profile or can be manually triggered by the user.
Change Detection: For each subsequent backup, the inSync client performs a scan of the same protected folders and files. However, instead of backing up everything again, it identifies only the blocks of data that have changed or are new since the last successful backup (which could have been a full or a previous incremental backup).
Differential Transfer: Only these changed or new data blocks are then transferred to the Druva Cloud. This significantly reduces the amount of data being transferred and the time taken for the backup.
Snapshot Update: In the Druva Cloud, the incremental backup data is used to update the latest backup snapshot. Druva inSync maintains a chain of snapshots, where each incremental snapshot captures the changes since the previous one. This approach is often referred to as an "incremental forever" strategy, where after the initial full backup, only incremental backups are performed.
In essence:
The first backup is a comprehensive capture of all selected data.
Subsequent backups are efficient, capturing only the modifications since the last backup, leveraging deduplication and compression to minimize resource consumption. This ensures that backups are faster and consume less bandwidth and storage over time.