Skip navigation FileNET logo
  Help for Backup and Restore  
  Search  |  Index  
Backup and restore guidelines
Concepts
  Backup strategies
  Backup types
    NTBackup
    SQL Server
    Enterprise
  Best practices
What to back up
Prepare backup tapes
Backing up the system state
Backing up Process Engine
Backing up Process Analyzer
Backing up databases
Restoring the system state
Restoring Process Analyzer
Restoring databases
   

About NTBackup

NTBackup is the default Windows 2000 backup utility. You can start NTBackup by entering ntbackup in a command window. NTBackup supports five different backup types, including:

NOTE Other backup programs offer similar backup types.

Normal backup

Also called a full backup, a normal backup, copies all selected files and clears each file’s archive attribute after the backup.

  • Advantages: Easy to restore. Since the backup set is an independent entity, you need to restore only the latest set.
  • Disadvantages: Takes the longest time and most storage resources for each backup.
  • Example: Perform a normal backup as the first backup set, or if the set is small, or after a major change in the system.

Copy backup

A copy backup copies all selected files without modifying each file's archive attribute. This helps if you want to leave the archive attribute alone.

  • Advantages: Same as a normal backup.
  • Disadvantages: Same as a normal backup.
  • Example: Use copy backup to make ad-hoc backups between normal and incremental backups without disturbing the regular backup process.

Incremental backup

An incremental backup backs up only the files created or changed since the last normal or incremental backup. It clears each file's archive attribute after the backup.

  • Advantages: Since the backup set only consists of files created or modified since the last normal or incremental backup, this backup type creates the smallest backup set and requires the shortest time to perform the backup.
  • Disadvantages: You must make sure the sets used for the restore procedure contain the latest normal backup and all of the incremental backups.
  • Example: Make a normal backup every Sunday; make an incremental backup on all the other days.

Differential backup

A differential backup copies the files created or changed since the last normal or incremental backup. It does not modify each file’s archive attribute. You can use incremental backups between a normal backup and a differential backup. However, this backup type can create complications during the restore procedure.

  • Advantages: Since the backup set only consists of new and changed files since the last normal or incremental backup, this creates a relatively small backup set and requires a short time to perform the backup.

    Differential backups are easy to restore. If you only do normal and differential backups, you need to include the latest normal backup plus the latest differential backup set when you restore the backup sets.
  • Disadvantages: Usually creates a larger backup set compared to incremental backups.
  • Example: Make a normal backup every Sunday; use differential on all the other days.

Daily backup

A daily backup copies all selected files created or modified the day you're performing the backup. It does not modify any file's archive attributes.

  • Advantages: Provides a way for you to quickly choose only the files changed during the day you perform the backup.
  • Disadvantages: Not suitable for enterprise-wide backups. If a user modifies a file after you perform a daily backup, and you do not back up again until the next day, the next backup will not pick up the modified file.
  • Example: Perform a daily backup to copy all the files that have been changed during the day you perform the backup.