BACKUP TYPES

Full Backup: A full backup is a backup of every file on a file system, whether that file has changed or not. Advantages: All files from the selected drives and folders are backed up to one backup set. In the event you need to restore files, they are easily restored from the single backup set.

Disadvantages: A full backup is more time consuming than other backup options. Full backups require more disk, tape, or network drive space.

Incremental Backup: An incremental backup that involves only those files that have changed since the last backup. Example: Monday - Perform the first incremental backup of selected files and/or folders using a file set with the Incremental option enabled. Tuesday - Perform another backup with the backup file set you created Monday. Only files that have changed since Monday's backup are backed up. Wednesday - Perform another backup with the backup file set you created Monday. Only files that have changed since Tuesday's incremental backup are backed up. Advantages: Backup time is faster than full backups. Incremental backups require less disk, tape, or network drive space. You can keep several versions of the same files on different backup sets.

Disadvantages: In order to restore all the files, you must have all of the incremental backups available. It may take longer to restore a specific file since you must search more than one backup set to find the latest version of a file.

Differential Backup: Differential backup contains all files that have changed since the last full backup. Example: Monday - Perform a full backup and save the file set. Tuesday - Perform a differential backup using the same file set. All files that have changed since the full backup are backed up in the differential backup. Wednesday - Perform a differential backup using the same file set. All the files that have changed since Monday's full backup are backed up. Advantages: Differential backups require even less disk, tape, or network drive space than incremental backups. Backup time is faster than full or incremental backups.

Disadvantages: Restoring all your files may take considerably longer since you may have to restore both the last differential and full backup. Restoring an individual file may take longer since you have to locate the file on either the differential or full backup.

Archive Bit: The archive bit is a small piece of information attached to a computer file that tells a backup program whether or not the file has been changed since last backup. It allows performing an incremental backup i.e., only copying files that have modified. Online Backup (Cloud Backup): Online backup as the name implies is the process of backing up data and files remotely online. This is an alternative to backing them up physically near the same place where the files exist. Online backup services offer the user the ability to keep their data backups up to date on regular basis. Without shutting down the application & database of the server while taking backup. Offline Backup (Cold Backup): Offline backup is a database backup when the database is offline & thus not accessible for updating. This is the safest way to backup up because it avoids the risk of copying data that may be in process of being updated. However, a cold backup involves downtime because users cannot use the database while it is being backed up. Hot Backup: Hot backup is a dynamic or active backup. Hot backup is taken when the database is running and data is being updated, added, or read by its users but doesnt handle running transactions. Only database management system (DBMS) facility can be used to take hot backups. Make sure that hot backups should only be done low working hours. Hot backup is taken in

environments where database needs to remain online 24-hours & 7-days a week because they do not require downtime as in cold backup. Cold Backup: Cold backup is taken when database is offline not accessible for updating & users cannot do anything on the database. DBMS as well as operating system facilities can be used to take cold backup. Normally cold backup is taken at the end of a working day or weekends when database comes offline. Cold backup is suitable in environments where database is not running 24-hours a day; instead there are sometime intervals when it remains off. Backups can be taken manually through the DBA or these can be taken automatically by configuring the DBMS in case of automatic backups you must specify day, time & location on storage media where DBMS will take the backups. These settings are required when configuring the DBMS. Cumulative Incremental Backup: A cumulative incremental backup will backup up all files that have changed since last full backup and will do so until the next full. The size of the backup will increase from cumulative to cumulative. Differential Incremental Backup: A differential incremental backup all files that have changed since any previous backup (including incrementals) The size of the backup will vary depending on how many files have changed from day to day. RMAN Backup: Recovery Manager (RMAN) is Oracle built-in recommended tool for backup & recovery with excellent features built into it. The product is a feature of the oracle database server and does not require separate installation. Recovery Manager is a client /server application that uses database server sessions to perform backup 6/10/2011recovery; it stores metadata about its operations in the control file of the target database and optionally in a recovery catalog schema in an oracle database. Using RMAN you can perform different types of backups. The image below describes the different types of backups that can be performed using RMAN.

LanFree Backup: LAN-Free backup is process of backing up server data to a centralized storage device rather than moving it across a local-area-networking. Transmitting all such data over the lan can slow down the network. LAN-Free backup can be conducted through a storage area networking (SAN) or with a tape device directly attached to the storage subsystems. Advantages of LAN-Free backup include shorter backup and recovery times and less disruption to other systems and application. Direct Attached LAN-Free

LAN Free using a SAN (Storage Area Network)

Serverless Backup in a SAN

Mirror Backup: Mirror backup is identical to full backup with the exception that the files are not compressed in ZIP files & they can not be protected with a password. A mirror backup is most frequently used to create an exact copy of the backup data. It has the benefit that the backup files can also be readily accessed using tools like windows explorer. Snapshot Backup: Snapshot technology enables you to create point-in-time copies of the file systems, which can use to protect data from single file to a complete disaster recovery solution. Can use this technology while applications are running & create a snapshot copies in less than a second regardless of volume size or level of activity. Make up to 255 snapshot copies per volume instantly to create online backup for user-driven recovery. SnapMirror Backup: SnapMirror replicates a volume or qtree to a destination volume or qtree. This destination is usually another filer but can be the same filer. With the exception of permissions SnapMirror relationships are configured on the destination filer. SnapMirror utilizes snapshots to accomplish incremental updates to the destination without needing a complete retransmission of the source volume. Tar Backup: TAR is Unix Tape Archive Utility. It can used to either store data on a steaming tape device like a DAT drive or store files in what is commonly call a tarball file. Creating a tarball: $ tar cvf backup.tar Note: c=create (an archive) V=verbose (just because) F=filename (the name of tarball) =current directory (whats going to be backed up). Displaying the contents of a tarball: $ tar tvf backup.tar Note: t=table of contents (lists) V=verbose (display all info) F=filename (backup.tar)

Extracting Data from a tarball: $ tar xvf backup.tar Note: x=extract V=verbose F=filename (backup.tar) Using compression: $ tar zcvf tarball.tgz Note: z=gzip compression c=create V=verbose F=filename (backup.tgz) =current directory (what to backup) Permission with tar: $ tar pzcvf tarball.tgz & $ tar pxvf tarball.tgz Using tar with a Tape Drive Backing up the current directory to tape drive: $ tar cvdefault tape drive (rsa0) $ tar cvf/dev/rsa1second tape drive (rsa1) Restore files from tape: $ tar xv. $ tar xvf/dev/rsa1
SAN (Storage Area Network) BACKP: A Storage Area Network is dedicated storage network that provided access to consolidated block level storage. SANs primarily are used to make storage devices (such as disk arrays, tape libraries, and optical juke boxes) accessible to servers so that the devices appear as locally attached operating system. A SAN typically has its own network of storage devices that are generally not accessible through the regular network by regular devices. A SAN alone does not provide the file abstraction, only block-level operations. However file systems built on top of SANs do provide this abstraction & are known as SAN file systems or shared disk file systems.

NAS (Network Attached Storage): Network Attached Storage is file-level computer data storage connected to a computer network providing data access to heterogeneous clients. NAS devices are gaining popularity as a convenient method of sharing files among multiple computers. Potential benefits of network attached storage, compared to file servers include faster data access, easier administration & simple configuration. NAS systems are network appliances which contain one or more hard drives often arranged into logical, redundant storage containers or RAID arrays. Network attached storage removes the responsibility of file serving from others servers on the network. They typically provide access to files network sharing protocols such as NFS, SMB/CIFS, or AFP. NFS: Network File System SMB: Server Message Block CIFS: Common Internet File System AFP: Apple Filing Protocol.

DAS (Direct Attached Storage): Direct Attached Storage refers to a digital storage system directly attached to a server or workstation, without a storage network in between. It is a retronym, mainly used to differentiate non-networked storage from SAN & NAS. A typical DAS system made of a data storage device connected directly to a computer through a host adapter (HBA). Between those points there is no network device (like hub, switch, or router) & this is a main characteristic of DAS.

Disk Quota: A disk quota is a limit set by a system administrator that restricts certain aspects of file system usage on modern operating system. The function of using disk quotas is allocate limited disk space in a reasonable way. Types of quotas 1. Usage quota or block quota 2. File quota or inode quota