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Incremental backup software - Titan Backup

An incremental backup is a backup of data files that have been changed since the last full or incremental backup. To contrast, a full backup backs up all files, whether they have changed or not. Incremental backups save disk space and time since not each and every file is backed up.

The alternatives to an incremental backup are differential backup and full backup.

Files are modified in many different ways: you might add/remove/change text in a document, edit a digital photo, overwrite a file with a newer version, change a file's metadata, etc. A file is actually represented by two parts: the main content and the operating system attributes or metadata. Changes may affect one or both of these parts. To contrast, a full backup backs up all files, whether they have changed or not. Incremental backups save disk space and time since not each and every file is backed up.

An incremental backup is the fastest backup and requires the least storage space on the backup media. However, Incremental backups also require the longest time and the most tapes to restore.

Incremental backups should be used only in environments where backup time or backup storage media are extremely constrained. For most environments, a weekly full backup and a daily differential backup represent a better plan.

Examples: I do a full backup of my files the first of each year and create incremental backups once a week thereafter.

Most simple backup schemes are based on a two-part process: one initial full backup, and then a series of incremental backups. The incremental backups on contain files that have changed since the last backup.