Data Backup Definitions
This glossary explains the meaning of key words and phrases that information technology (IT) and business professionals use when discussing data backup and related software products. You can find additional definitions by visiting WhatIs.com or using the search box below.
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3-2-1 backup strategy
The 3-2-1 backup is a time-tested data protection and recovery methodology for ensuring that data is protected adequately and up-to-date backup copies of the data are available when needed.
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A
Acronis
Acronis is a data protection software vendor that spun off as a separate company from Parallels in Singapore and became an independent company in 2003.
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asynchronous replication
Asynchronous replication is a store-and-forward approach to backup and data protection.
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B
backup
Backup refers to the copying of physical or virtual files or databases to a secondary location for preservation in case of equipment failure or catastrophe.
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backup as a service (BaaS)
Backup as a service (BaaS) is an approach to backing up data that involves purchasing backup and recovery services from an online data backup provider.
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backup storage device
A backup storage device is used to make copies of data that’'s actively in use.
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C
Cloud-to-Cloud Backup (C2C Backup)
C2C backup (cloud-to-cloud backup) is the practice of copying data stored on one cloud service to another cloud service. The backup stored on the second cloud service serves the same purpose as an off-site backup.
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cold backup (offline backup)
A cold backup is a backup of an offline database.
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What is cloud backup and how does it work?
Cloud backup, also known as online backup or remote backup, is a strategy for sending a copy of a physical or virtual file or database to a secondary, off-site location for preservation in case of equipment failure, site catastrophe or human malfeasance.
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D
data archiving
Data archiving moves data that is no longer actively used to a separate storage device for long-term retention.
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data deduplication hardware
Data deduplication hardware is disk storage that eliminates redundant copies of data and retains one instance to be stored.
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data loss
Data loss is the intentional or unintentional destruction of information.
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data protection management (DPM)
Data protection management (DPM) is the administration, monitoring and management of backup processes to ensure backup tasks run on schedule and data is securely backed up and recoverable.
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data reduction
Data reduction lowers the amount of capacity required to store data.
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data restore
Data restore is the process of copying backup data from secondary storage and restoring it to its original location or a new location.
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data retention policy
In business settings, data retention is a concept that encompasses all processes for storing and preserving data, as well as the specific time periods and policies businesses enforce that determine how and for how long data should be retained.
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Datto
Datto Inc. is a backup, recovery and business continuity vendor with headquarters in Norwalk, Conn.
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Dell EMC Avamar
Dell EMC Avamar is a hardware and software data backup product.
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Differential Backup
A differential backup is a type of data backup method that copies all of the files that have changed since the last full backup was performed.
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disk backup or disk-based backup
Disk backup, or disk-based backup, is a data backup and recovery method that backs data up to hard disk storage.
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Druva
Druva is a cloud data protection and management software company based in Sunnyvale, Calif.
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What is data protection and why is it important?
Data protection is the process of safeguarding important information from corruption, compromise or loss.
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E
encryption key management
Encryption key management is the practice of generating, organizing, protecting, storing, backing up and distributing encryption keys.
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F
Full Backup
A full backup is the process of making at least one additional copy of all data files that an organization wishes to protect in a single backup operation.
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G
ghost imaging (disk imaging)
In computing, ghost imaging, also called disk imaging, is a data backup process that creates an image of a computer's hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD) or one of the drive's partitions.
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H
hybrid backup
A hybrid backup is typically when organizations use both on-premises storage and the public cloud as data backup destinations, depending on specific requirements and use cases.
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I
image-based backup
Image-based backup creates a copy of an operating system and all the data associated with it, including the system state and application configurations.
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Incremental Backup
An incremental backup is a type of backup that only copies data that has been changed or created since the previous backup activity was conducted.
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inline deduplication
Inline deduplication is the removal of redundancies from data before or as it is being written to a backup device.
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L
LTFS (Linear Tape File System)
LTFS (Linear Tape File System) is a file system specification that allows Linear Tape-Open (LTO) storage technology to be indexed.
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LTO (Linear Tape-Open) tape
LTO (Linear Tape-Open) tape is an open-format tape storage technology created by Hewlett-Packard (HP), International Business Machines (IBM) and Seagate Technology.
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LTO-5
LTO-5 is a tape format released in 2010 by the Linear Tape-Open Consortium.
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LTO-7 (Linear Tape-Open 7)
LTO-7 is a tape format from the Linear Tape-Open (LTO) Consortium released in late 2015.
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LTO-8 (Linear Tape-Open 8)
LTO-8 is a tape format from the Linear Tape-Open Consortium released in late 2017. It succeeded the LTO-7 version, which launched in 2015.
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LTO-9 (Linear Tape-Open 9)
LTO-9 (Linear Tape-Open 9) is a future tape format from the Linear Tape-Open Consortium.
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M
magnetic tape storage
Magnetic tape is one of the oldest technologies for electronic data storage.
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O
off-site backup
Off-site backup is a method of backing up data to a remote server or to media that's transported off site.
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Oracle RMAN (Oracle Recovery Manager)
Oracle RMAN (Oracle Recovery Manager) is a utility built into Oracle databases to automate backup and recovery; it includes features not available in third-party backup tools.
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P
purpose-built backup appliance (PBBA)
A purpose-built backup appliance (PBBA) is a standalone disk-based storage device that is configured and optimized for storing backup data.
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R
removable media
Removable media is any type of storage device that can be removed from a computer while the system is running.
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S
storage snapshot
A storage snapshot is a set of reference markers for data at a particular point in time (PIT). More specifically, it's a collection of saved application data and a comprehensive log that details how the saved data has changed over time.
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T
tape backup
Tape backup is the practice of periodically copying data from a primary storage device to a tape cartridge.
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tape library
In data storage, a tape library is a collection of magnetic tape cartridges and tape drives.
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V
Veeam Backup & Replication
Veeam Backup & Replication is a software product developed by Veeam Software to back up, restore and replicate data on virtual machines (VMs).
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Veritas NetBackup (Symantec NetBackup)
Veritas NetBackup -- known as Symantec NetBackup from 2005 to 2016 -- is a backup and recovery software suite designed for enterprise users.