Describe an incremental backup.

Describe an incremental backup.

• A. Duplicate all files every time
• B. Copy only files that have been edited since the last full backup
• C. Delete files after backup
• D. Take a copy of any new files created since the last backup

Answer: (D)

Incremental backups focus on preserving only data that hasn’t been saved in the previous backup, which keeps each backup small and quick to create. The option that describes taking a copy of any new files created since the last backup fits this idea best: you’re adding only data that didn’t exist in the backups before. This avoids duplicating existing files and speeds up the process. The other options don’t describe incremental backups as cleanly: duplicating everything each time would be a full backup, copying only edited files since the last full backup describes a differential approach, and deleting files after backup isn’t backing up at all. In real use, you’d have an initial full backup followed by incremental backups, with restoration requiring the full backup plus all subsequent incremental backups in order.

Incremental backups focus on preserving only data that hasn’t been saved in the previous backup, which keeps each backup small and quick to create. The option that describes taking a copy of any new files created since the last backup fits this idea best: you’re adding only data that didn’t exist in the backups before. This avoids duplicating existing files and speeds up the process.

The other options don’t describe incremental backups as cleanly: duplicating everything each time would be a full backup, copying only edited files since the last full backup describes a differential approach, and deleting files after backup isn’t backing up at all. In real use, you’d have an initial full backup followed by incremental backups, with restoration requiring the full backup plus all subsequent incremental backups in order.