Full Backup

A full backup backs up all the data, whether or not it has been modified. So if your computer blows up (either figuratively or literally), you will be able to restore all the files.

Restoring all the files is not synonymous with restoring the computer itself, since many programs will need more than files in order to function. For example, most Windows programs require information that is stored in the Windows registry. In order to recover the operating system itself, you need to back up the “system state.”

System State

The system state is a common term for the basic components of your operating system. This includes the Windows registry files, but it also includes system boot files and other components that your particular version of Windows may need for operating system recovery. With your system state files, you should be able to completely restore your operating system. Without a system state backup, you will be able to restore any files with a data backup; however, you would have to reinstall the operating system and reconfigure it in order to bring your system back to the way it was.

With your system state and files backed up, you should have no problem restoring your complete system.

Usually, the term “full backup” does not include a system state backup. A full backup can include all the files on any given computer but not core operating system components. Normally, software programs have a separate option for system state backup.

Working with Full Backups

With a full backup, you will be able to restore all the information and data that has been produced.

The idea of data backup assumes that every day, new data is being created, old data is being deleted, and some existing data is being changed. If you had data that never, ever needed to be changed, one full backup is all that you would need.

Suppose a computer has three files: File A, File B, and File C.

• On Monday morning, File C was modified.

• During the full backup on Monday evening, all three files were copied onto the backup tape.

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  On Tuesday, File B was modified.

• During the full backup on Tuesday evening, all three files were copied onto the backup tape again.

Another example:

Monday: Folders A + B + C are backed up (full backup).

Tuesday: Folder A is modified. Folders A + B + C are backed up (full backup).

Wednesday: Folder B is modified. Folders A + B + C are backed up (full backup).

Thursday: Folders A and B are modified. Folders A + B + C are backed up (full backup).

If resources were limitless and backup/restore speed was immediate, then full backups would be the best way to go. However, the amount of data that changes can be enormous in a company of any considerable size. Many networks would find it too costly to continuously do full backups of every single file. If tapes were the backup media, there would be too many tapes used and nowhere to store so many tapes. But tapes aren’t the only resources that are used up. Network bandwidth and server resources can take a serious hit if a full backup is performed very frequently.

Even if there were generous resources, full backups would not be best if nearly all the data remains static and only a small portion of the data changes from day to day. In that case, full backups could be a waste of resources.

Other backup methods exist that allow you to provide the same amount of data protection without using so much backup media. The difference with those other methods is that they require you to have more than one backup at hand when you are performing the recovery. Therefore, recovery takes more time and effort than it would with a full backup alone.