Backup and recovery
File backups and full system backups: what is the difference?
“We back up the files” sounds reassuring. But restoring files is a different job from restoring a working server.
1 min readExplainer
The short version
A file backup saves your documents. An image backup saves the whole computer or server, so it can be rebuilt quickly. Most businesses need both.
File backups
A file backup copies documents, spreadsheets and other files. It is good for getting back a deleted file or an older version of something.
What it does not save is everything around the files: the operating system, installed programs, settings, licenses and how it all fits together. If the server fails, you have the files but nothing to run them on. Rebuilding the server by hand and reinstalling every program can take days.
Image backups
An image backup takes a copy of the entire computer or server: the system, programs, settings and data, as they were at that moment. If the machine dies, the image can be restored to new hardware, or started as a virtual machine, and it comes back as it was.
Images are larger, and they are usually taken on a schedule, such as nightly, with changes captured in between.
Which do you need?
- Servers and systems that run the business: image backups, so they can be back quickly.
- Shared files and personal documents: file backups too, with versions kept so you can go back to last week or last month.
- Microsoft 365: a separate backup of email, OneDrive and SharePoint.
The right mix depends on how long the business can be without each system. That is what a recovery plan works out.
Talk to us about your technology
Tell us what you run today and what is getting in the way. We will get back to you about how we can help.