Which strategy might a DBA consider to combine the benefits of incremental and full backups?

Which strategy might a DBA consider to combine the benefits of incremental and full backups?

• A. Scripting manual backups
• B. Synthetic full backup
• C. Reduced frequency of backups
• D. Deleting old backups

Answer: (B)

A synthetic full backup is a strategy that allows a Database Administrator (DBA) to combine the advantages of both incremental backups and full backups. With this method, the DBA creates a full backup by integrating previous incremental backups without needing to take the database offline. This process typically utilizes existing data stored from incremental backups to create a consolidated full backup that reflects the current state of the database.

This approach greatly optimizes storage and recovery times because it reduces the frequency of needing to perform full backups, which can be resource-intensive. It also maintains the ability to quickly restore the database to its latest state by combining the changes captured incrementally. This balance helps alleviate some of the administrative burdens while ensuring data integrity and availability.

Other strategies listed do not provide the same level of efficiency and utility. Scripting manual backups may offer flexibility but doesn’t inherently optimize the process of combining backups. Reducing the frequency of backups could lead to increased data loss between retention periods, and deleting old backups may undermine recovery options if the data needs to be restored from a past state.