Backups

There are many ways to perform backups in NovaBACKUP 21, but primarily we will discuss using the "Backup" tab in the client, and we will focus on utilizing the new backup engine device types, that being the 'Local Backup' device type and the 'Cloud Backup' S3 device type. Notice: There are some differences in capabilities of using the backup client UI to create and edit a backup job versus using the CMon UI to do that, so please be aware of that. Here we are only taking about the backup client.

The backup job types that the current new backup engine (added in 21.x) device types can utilize, which is the 'Local Backup' device type (that takes the place of the legacy "local drives", such as "C:\" and the 'Cloud Backup' (S3) device type (which are the two new device types added in 21.x), that are:

• File backup

• MS SQL database backup

• Hyper-V Virtual Machine backup

• System State backup (Registry, Active Directory, etc.)

Note: Image Backup can be performed in NovaBACKUP 21, whether that is on a schedule or is a manual one-time run, however the new device types added in NovaBACKUP 21 that utilize the new backup engine, are not compatible with those two device types, and you would have to utilize a legacy storage device (which are the legacy "local drives", such as "C:\", and the legacy "Network Device" device type, that can be utilized and seen only after enabling legacy device support). For a guide on how to enable legacy device support in NovaBACKUP 21.x, please read the following guide (web): https://support.novabackup.com/hc/en-us/articles/16161957844637-How-to-Enable-Legacy-Storage-Devices-in-NovaBACKUP-in-version-21-and-higher. VMware backups can be performed in NovaBACKUP 21.x as well, but they can only utilize a legacy device target (legacy "local drives", such as "C:\", and the legacy "Network Device" device type). The "Copy" tab functionality will also only work with legacy devices.

File Backup

A standard file backup is simply an archive of data that may be restored in the event of data loss. This archive is generally made from the files which you select as being important (or an entire file system) and may be encrypted or compressed.

File backup is a primary backup that runs one or more times per day to back up all business-critical data. File backups in NovaBACKUP utilize the forever-incremental method, and the retention is built in to the backup job itself.

Image Backup (Disaster Recovery)

An image backup is intended to back up the underlying data structures of a computer including the operating system and applications for emergency restoration to, for example, completely different computer, in the event of a system loss.

System configuration changes rarely occur. However, to ensure you can get your entire system back, we always recommend that you perform a full image backup occasionally, which offers the safest and fastest method for recovery of an entire PC or server.

Different Types of Backup Jobs

For File Backups

• Forever-incremental Backup: Forever incremental backup is a process in which all backups after the initial full backup are incremental only. Unlike traditional incremental, which suggests periodic full backups, using forever-incremental means that all backups are always incremental. This file backup method is available for local and cloud backups starting in NovaBACKUP 21.x. With this scheme, the backup will first store as an initial full seed backup, and then after that has completed, subsequent runs of that same backup job will use the incremental scheme, and the retention that is defined at the device level will function to roll up the changes into that full seed backup as needed. This backup scheme did not exist prior to that time, so it may be something new to get used to if you are a legacy version user. Retention is defined at the backup job level, and so in that case there is no need to create and maintain a separate "retention" job in that case, for these new backup device types that utilize this scheme (as the only available scheme in that case). For a futher explanation of How Incremental Forever Backup Handles the Retention Settings; this is a high level overview of how retention works in NovaBACKUP 21, for the two 'Local Backup' and 'Cloud Storage' S3 device types (as the only backup scheme that can be utilized with those two newer device types).

For Image Backups

• Full Backup: a data or image backup of all (selected) data or drives or partitions.

• Differential Backup: a backup with all changes since the last full backup.

• Incremental Backup: A backup that only contains the files that have changed since the most recent backup (either full or incremental).