Backup

Selecting a Backup Type: Full or IncrementalSelecting a Backup Type: Full or Incremental

To save time and media during a backup, you can combine full and incremental backups. For example, you can create a second-level incremental backup based on a previous first-level incremental backup, a third-level incremental backup based on a previous second-level incremental backup, and so on.

The backup type (full or incremental) applies to the entire backup specification and only to filesystem objects.

The backup type is ignored for zero downtime backup sessions (split mirror or snapshot backup). It is set to full.

To combine full and incremental backups, make sure that the backup object has exactly the same:

 

client name

 

drive/mountpoint

 

description

 

 

The description can be set for the whole backup specification or for a

 

 

specific object. Refer to “Backup Specification Options” on page 236

 

 

and “Object Options” on page 239.

 

owner

 

 

Backup ownership can be set for the whole backup specification.

 

 

Refer to “Ownership: Who Will Be Able to Restore?” on page 235.

Backup Types

Full backup

 

 

A full backup consists of all backup objects, even if they have been

 

 

backed up before. The first backup of an object is always a full

 

 

backup. Any subsequent backup will be completed as full if no

 

 

protected full backups with the same ownership are available at the

 

 

backup time.

 

Incr backup

 

 

This backup type is based on any previous, still protected backup

 

 

chain, either a full or an incremental backup. An incremental backup

 

 

includes only the files that have changed since the last still protected

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