Differential Incremental Backup

Why Trust Techopedia

What Does Differential Incremental Backup Mean?

Differential incremental backup is a data backup process that backs up data files and objects that have been modified since the last Level 1 incremental backup. It is a backup technique that only backs up modified data since the last incremental backup, rather than the complete data sets.

Advertisements

Techopedia Explains Differential Incremental Backup

Differential incremental backup primarily helps in optimizing the backup process by selectively backing up data. It is a type of incremental backup technique that works after a Level 0 incremental backup has already been performed. Typically, differential incremental backup works through data backup software that has the ability to record and maintain versions of each data object. Before initiating an incremental or data backup, the backup software will look for a Level 1 backup. If there is no Level 1 backup, the software initiates backup from the Level 0 backup. For example, if an incremental backup is performed on a daily basis, differential incremental backup will back up the modified data since the last day’s backup.

Advertisements

Related Terms

Margaret Rouse
Technology expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.