What is a differential backup?

What is a differential backup?

• A. It copies changes since the last full backup.
• B. It copies only the most recently changed files.
• C. It copies all data every time.
• D. It copies data to a separate device.

Answer: (A)

Differential backups capture all changes since the last full backup. After you run a full backup, a differential backup on subsequent days copies every file that has changed since that full backup, not just the most recently edited files. This means the set of files included grows over time until you perform the next full backup, at which point the differential starts over from zero again. For restoration, you would use the last full backup plus the most recent differential backup to reconstruct the current state. This approach strikes a balance between speed and storage: faster than performing a new full backup each time, but larger than an incremental backup that copies only changes since the previous backup. It’s not about where the data is stored, and it isn’t limited to only the most recently changed files.

Differential backups capture all changes since the last full backup. After you run a full backup, a differential backup on subsequent days copies every file that has changed since that full backup, not just the most recently edited files. This means the set of files included grows over time until you perform the next full backup, at which point the differential starts over from zero again. For restoration, you would use the last full backup plus the most recent differential backup to reconstruct the current state. This approach strikes a balance between speed and storage: faster than performing a new full backup each time, but larger than an incremental backup that copies only changes since the previous backup. It’s not about where the data is stored, and it isn’t limited to only the most recently changed files.