Acronis discription of Incremental vs Differential backup???

[john1955]

What's the difference between an Incremental vs Differential backup?

The user guide talks about if you write one page of a document the incremental method saves the new page every time you run backup . . . That makes no sense to me. If I'm building a Word document with 100 pages and I add a few pages each day, when I do a backup I expect it to save the entire file not just new pages of it? Is it true what Acronis is saying? I'm thinking it's in error by just oversimplifying it to the point of being absurd. I tried using the Acronis Forum but I cannot even see a way to post a question there? They seem to be going out of their way to be not helpful.

I'm assuming most of their backups versions use a similar method so they are backwards compatible but I happen to be using True Image 2017 in case it matters. Ive been using it since 2009 but I almost always only do FULL disk backups and thought I would try another method.

 

[SIW2]

Differential backups comprise data files that have changed since the most recently completed full backup.

if you are doing differentials, when you do a restore you need the latest differential plus the original full backup it relates to.

If you a full backup on Monday that will include whatever you have written ( lets say 10 pages)

If you do a differential on Tuesday that will include only the additional pages ( and any of 1-10 you have changed ) since Monday ( lets assume you havent changed any ) and have written page 11 - it will then backup page 11 but not pages 1-10 .

If you do a differential on Wednesday that will include all the pages you have written (and any you have changed ) since Monday ( lets assume you havent changed any ) and have written page 12 - it will then backup page 11 and page 12 but not pages 1-10


**************************************************************************************************************
Incremental backups comprise data files that have changed since the most recently completed incremental backup.

if you are doing incrementals, when you do a restore you need the latest incremental and all the earlier incrementals as well as the original full backup.

The full backup on Monday includes pages 1-10

The incremental backup on Tuesday ( assuming you havent changed any of 1-10 ) contains page 11 but not pages 1-10

The incremental backup on Wednesday ( assuming you havent changed any of 1-11 ) includes page 12 but not pages 1-11
*****************************************************************************

You could do a full backup each time if you want, but it takes longer and takes more space.

 

[john1955]

PAGES . . . Really? This sounds like a "canned Copy/Paste answer. Are you saying it can extract new pages of a word doc file??? What if I also make a change from a period to a comma on page one? The problem with this answer is that it's saying what I already read and said it makes no sense. I want clarification not the same thing I already read in the documentation.

if you are doing differentials, when you do a restore you need the latest differential plus the original full backup it relates to.

If you a full backup on Monday that will include whatever you have written ( lets say 10 pages)

If you do a differential on Tuesday that will include only the additional pages ( and any of 1-10 you have changed ) since Monday ( lets assume you havent changed any and have written page 11 - it will then backup page 11)

If you do a differential on Wednesday that will include all the pages you have written (and any you have changed ) since Monday ( lets assume you havent changed any and have written page 12 - it will then backup page 11 and page 12)


**************************************************************************************************************
Incremental backups comprise data files that have changed since the most recently completed incremental backup.

if you are doing incrementals, when you do a restore you need the latest incremental and all the earlier incrementals as well as the original full backup.

The full backup on Monday includes pages 1-10

The incremental backup on Tuesday contains page 11

The incremental backup on Wednesday includes page 12
*****************************************************************************

You could do a full backup each time if you want, but it takes longer and takes more space.[/QUOTE]

 

[SIW2]

I can't put it any more simply.

 

[john1955]

Yes you can . . . by answering the actual questions. Read the post not just the title.

I'm not asking for simplicity as you can see from reading the original post. I'm asking for clarity.

I cant put it any more simply.

 

[SIW2]

It would help you if you read the post.

What if I also make a change from a period to a comma on page one?

If you do a differential on Tuesday that will include only the additional pages ( and any of 1-10 you have changed )

The Tuesday differential doesn't include what is in the Monday full backup. It only includes new (or changed ) files.

So the original file ( with a period ) will still be in the full backup you made on Monday. If you wanted to, you could get the original out of the Monday full backup.

 

[john1955]

I guess I have to simplify the question . . .
If I make any change to any part of a file such as a database will it back up the entire file or just parts of it. Does it only look at the bits on the hard drive and back up those bits of data or does it look at the archive bit "attribute" on the file to see that it's been changed?

 

[Mike Lynch]

Hey John,

Pound sand!

Best regards,

Mike

 

[john1955]

That's what it feels like I'm already doing since there's no one here that can answer the question without using analogies that don't actually apply to how they work. I made a bet with a friend that we would get an better answer in here but it looks like I lost the bet. But that's OK because the answer (as usual) is on YouTube . . .

Hey John,
Pound sand!
Best regards,
Mike

 

[Mike Lynch]

Self fulfilling prophecy! Why waste the Forums time?

 

[john1955]

Self fulfilling prophecy! Why waste the Forums time?

What an idiot . . . just the opposite is the case here.
I did not know it had fallen so far, it use to have helpful people in here.
They call it "projection" when you accuse people of your own faults.
And I'm betting you are going to keep it up . . .

 

[Mike Lynch]

Yes! You are correct.