Which of the following accurately describes a differential backup?

Which of the following accurately describes a differential backup?

• A. It backs up all data every time a backup is performed
• B. It only backs up unchanged data since the last backup
• C. It only backs up changes made to the database since the last full backup
• D. It creates a complete copy of the database for each backup

Answer: (C)

A differential backup is designed to capture all changes made to the data since the last full backup. This means that each time a differential backup is performed, it includes all data that has changed or been added since the last complete backup was done. This type of backup enables a more efficient recovery process because, in the event of a data loss, you would only need the last full backup and the most recent differential backup to restore the database to its current state. This approach contrasts with other backup types, such as full backups, which involve duplicating all data regardless of changes, and incremental backups, which only save changes that have occurred since the last backup of any kind. By focusing on accumulating all changes since the last full backup, differential backups help to optimize storage space and speed up backup operations, making them a practical choice for many data management strategies.

A differential backup is designed to capture all changes made to the data since the last full backup. This means that each time a differential backup is performed, it includes all data that has changed or been added since the last complete backup was done. This type of backup enables a more efficient recovery process because, in the event of a data loss, you would only need the last full backup and the most recent differential backup to restore the database to its current state.

This approach contrasts with other backup types, such as full backups, which involve duplicating all data regardless of changes, and incremental backups, which only save changes that have occurred since the last backup of any kind. By focusing on accumulating all changes since the last full backup, differential backups help to optimize storage space and speed up backup operations, making them a practical choice for many data management strategies.