Which backup type backs up only data that has changed since the last backup of any type and uses the least storage space but takes the most time to restore?

Which backup type backs up only data that has changed since the last backup of any type and uses the least storage space but takes the most time to restore?

• A. Full Backup
• B. Incremental Backup
• C. Version Control
• D. Differential Backup

Answer: (B)

Incremental backups back up only data that has changed since the last backup of any type. Because they capture only the deltas, they use the least storage space. The trade-off is in restoration: to rebuild the current state you must start from the last full backup and then apply every incremental backup in sequence, which makes the restore process the slowest among common strategies. Full backups store everything, so restores are fastest but require the most storage and backup time. Differential backups capture changes since the last full backup, so restores involve a single full backup plus one differential file, which is faster than incremental but uses more storage than incremental. Version control is a separate concept for tracking edits to individual files, not a backup type. Therefore, the described backup type is incremental.

Incremental backups back up only data that has changed since the last backup of any type. Because they capture only the deltas, they use the least storage space. The trade-off is in restoration: to rebuild the current state you must start from the last full backup and then apply every incremental backup in sequence, which makes the restore process the slowest among common strategies. Full backups store everything, so restores are fastest but require the most storage and backup time. Differential backups capture changes since the last full backup, so restores involve a single full backup plus one differential file, which is faster than incremental but uses more storage than incremental. Version control is a separate concept for tracking edits to individual files, not a backup type. Therefore, the described backup type is incremental.