Backup software are computer programs used to perform a

backup In information technology, a backup, or data backup is a copy of computer data taken and stored elsewhere so that it may be used to restore the original after a data loss event. The verb form, referring to the process of doing so, is "back up", w ...

; they create supplementary exact copies of files, databases or entire computers. These programs may later use the supplementary copies to restore the original contents in the event of

data loss Data loss is an error condition in information systems in which information is destroyed by failures (like failed spindle motors or head crashes on hard drives) or neglect (like mishandling, careless handling or storage under unsuitable conditions) ...

; hence, they are very useful to users.

Key features

There are several features of backup software that make it more effective in backing up data.

Volumes

Voluming allows the ability to compress and split backup data into separate parts for storage on smaller,

removable media Expandable storage is a form of computer storage that is designed to be inserted and removed from a system. Some forms of removable media, such as optical discs, require a reader to be installed in the computer, while others, such as USB flash dr ...

such as CDs. It was often used because CDs were easy to transport off-site and inexpensive compared to

hard drives A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating platters coated with magne ...

server Server may refer to: Computing *Server (computing), a computer program or a device that provides functionality for other programs or devices, called clients Role * Waiting staff, those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers and su ...

s. However, the recent increase in hard drive capacity and decrease in drive cost has made voluming a far less popular solution. The introduction of small, portable, durable USB drives, and the increase in

broadband In telecommunications, broadband is wide bandwidth data transmission which transports multiple signals at a wide range of frequencies and Internet traffic types, that enables messages to be sent simultaneously, used in fast internet connections. ...

capacity has provided easier and more secure methods of transporting backup data off-site.

Data compression

Since

hard drive A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating platters coated with magnet ...

space has cost, compressing the data will reduce the size allowing for less drive space to be used to save money.

Access to open files

Many backup solutions offer a plug-in for access to exclusive, in use, and locked files.

Differential and incremental backups

Backup solutions generally support

differential backup A differential backup is a type of data backup that preserves data, saving only the difference in the data since the last full backup. The rationale in this is that, since changes to data are generally few compared to the entire amount of data in t ...

s and

incremental backup An incremental backup is one in which successive copies of the data contain only the portion that has changed since the preceding backup copy was made. When a full recovery is needed, the restoration process would need the last full backup plus al ...

s in addition to full backups, so only material that is newer or changed compared to the backed up data is actually backed up. The effect of these is to increase significantly the speed of the backup process over slow networks while decreasing space requirements.

Schedules

Backup schedules are usually supported to reduce maintenance of the backup tool and increase the reliability of the backups.

Encryption

To prevent

data theft Data theft is a growing phenomenon primarily caused by system administrators and office workers with access to technology such as database servers, desktop computers and a growing list of hand-held devices capable of storing digital information, su ...

, some backup software offers cryptography features to protect the backup.

Transaction mechanism

To prevent loss of previously backed up data during a backup, some backup software (e.g.,

Areca Backup Areca Backup is an Open Source personal file backup software developed in Java. It is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL) 2. Features Areca Backup includes a backup engine, as well as a graphical user interface and a command- ...

Argentum Backup Argentum Backup is a backup software program for Microsoft Windows, produced by Argentum. Argentum Backup copies files into Zip compressed folders, as well as provides native file copying. Backup copies can be created both manually and automatica ...

) offer Transaction mechanism (with commit/rollback management) for all critical processes (such as backups or merges) to guarantee the backups' integrity.

References

Utility software types {{Wikiversity-inline