Data Backup Definitions

This glossary explains the meaning of key words and phrases that information technology (IT) and business professionals use when discussing data backup and related software products. You can find additional definitions by visiting WhatIs.com or using the search box below.

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  • #

    3-2-1 backup strategy explained: Is it effective?

    The 3-2-1 backup strategy is a time-tested data protection and recovery methodology for ensuring that data is protected adequately and up-to-date backup copies of the data are available when needed.

  • A

    Acronis

    Acronis is a data protection software vendor that spun off as a separate company from Parallels in Singapore and became an independent company in 2003.

  • asynchronous replication

    Asynchronous replication is a store-and-forward approach to data backup and protection.

  • B

    backup as a service (BaaS)

    Backup as a service (BaaS) is an approach to backing up data that involves purchasing backup and recovery services from an online data backup provider.

  • backup storage device

    A backup storage device is a hardware component for storing copies of data.

  • C

    Cloud-to-Cloud Backup (C2C Backup)

    C2C backup (cloud-to-cloud backup) is the practice of copying data stored on one cloud service to another cloud service. The backup stored on the second cloud service serves the same purpose as an off-site backup.

  • cold backup (offline backup)

    A cold backup is a backup of an offline database.

  • What is cloud backup and how does it work?

    Cloud backup, also known as online backup or remote backup, is a strategy for sending a copy of a physical or virtual file or database to a secondary, off-site location for preservation in case of equipment failure, site catastrophe or human malfeasance.

  • D

    data anonymization

    Data anonymization describes various techniques to remove or block data containing personally identifiable information (PII).

  • data archiving

    Data archiving moves data that is no longer actively used to a separate storage device for long-term retention.

  • data deduplication hardware

    Data deduplication hardware is disk storage that eliminates redundant copies of data and retains one instance to be stored.

  • data loss

    Data loss is the intentional or unintentional destruction of information.

  • data minimization

    Data minimization aims to reduce the amount of collected data to only include necessary information for a specific purpose.

  • data processing

    Data processing refers to essential operations executed on raw data to transform the information into a useful format or structure that provides valuable insights to a user or organization.

  • Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018)

    The Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018) is a legislative framework in the United Kingdom governing the processing of personal data.

  • data protection as a service (DPaaS)

    Data protection as a service (DPaaS) involves managed services that safeguard an organization's data.

  • data protection authorities

    Data protection authorities (DPAs) are public authorities responsible for enforcing data protection laws and regulations within a specific jurisdiction.

  • data protection management (DPM)

    Data protection management (DPM) is the administration, monitoring and management of backup processes to ensure backup tasks run on schedule and data is securely backed up and recoverable.

  • data reduction

    Data reduction lowers the amount of capacity required to store data.

  • data restore

    Data restore is the process of copying backup data from secondary storage and restoring it to its original location or a new location.

  • data retention policy

    In business settings, data retention is a concept that encompasses all processes for storing and preserving data, as well as the specific time periods and policies businesses enforce that determine how and for how long data should be retained.

  • Datto

    Datto Inc. is a backup, recovery and business continuity vendor with headquarters in Norwalk, Conn.

  • Dell EMC Avamar

    Dell EMC Avamar is a hardware and software data backup product.

  • differential backup

    A differential backup is a data backup that copies all the files that have changed since the last full backup was performed.

  • Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023

    India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDPA) is a comprehensive privacy and data protection law that recognizes the right of individuals, referred to as "data principals," to protect their personal data during the processing of that data for lawful purposes.

  • disk backup or disk-based backup

    Disk backup, or disk-based backup, is a data backup and recovery method that backs data up to hard disk storage.

  • Druva

    Druva is a cloud data protection and management software company based in Sunnyvale, Calif.

  • What is data backup? An in-depth guide

    Data backup is the process of copying data in an IT system to another location so it can be recovered if the original data is lost.

  • What is data protection and why is it important?

    Data protection is the process of safeguarding data and restoring important information in the event the data is corrupted, compromised or lost due to cyberattacks, shutdowns, intentional harm or human error.

  • E

    encryption key management

    Encryption key management is the practice of generating, organizing, protecting, storing, backing up and distributing encryption keys.

  • F

    full backup

    A full backup is the process of making at least one additional copy of all data files that an organization wishes to protect in a single backup operation.

  • G

    ghost imaging (disk imaging)

    In computing, ghost imaging, also called disk imaging, is a data backup process that creates an image of a computer's hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD) or one of the drive's partitions.

  • H

    hybrid backup

    A hybrid backup is typically when organizations use both on-premises storage and the public cloud as data backup destinations, depending on specific requirements and use cases.

  • I

    image-based backup

    Image-based backup creates a copy of an operating system and all the data associated with it, including the system state and application configurations.

  • incremental backup

    An incremental backup is a backup type that only copies data that has been changed or created since the previous backup activity was conducted.

  • inline deduplication

    Inline deduplication is the removal of redundancies from data before or as it is being written to a backup device.

  • L

    Linear Tape-Open (LTO)

    Linear Tape-Open (LTO) is an open-format tape storage technology created by HPE, IBM and Seagate Technology.

  • LTFS (Linear Tape File System)

    LTFS (Linear Tape File System) is a file system specification that allows Linear Tape-Open (LTO) storage technology to be indexed.

  • LTO-5

    LTO-5 is a tape format released in 2010 by the Linear Tape-Open Consortium.

  • LTO-7 (Linear Tape-Open 7)

    LTO-7 is a tape format from the Linear Tape-Open (LTO) Consortium released in late 2015. It succeeded the LTO-6 version, which launched in 2012.

  • LTO-8 (Linear Tape-Open 8)

    LTO-8, or Linear Tape-Open 8, is a tape format from the Linear Tape-Open Consortium released in late 2017. It succeeded the LTO-7 version, which launched in 2015.

  • LTO-9 (Linear Tape-Open 9)

    LTO-9 is a tape format from the Linear Tape-Open (LTO) Consortium. It launched in 2021.

  • M

    magnetic tape storage

    Magnetic tape is one of the oldest technologies for electronic data storage.

  • O

    off-site backup

    Off-site backup is a method of backing up data to a remote server or to media that's transported off-site.

  • Oracle RMAN (Oracle Recovery Manager)

    Oracle RMAN (Oracle Recovery Manager) is a utility built into Oracle databases to automate backup and recovery; it includes features not available in third-party backup tools.

  • P

    purpose-built backup appliance (PBBA)

    A purpose-built backup appliance (PBBA) is a standalone disk-based storage device that is configured and optimized for storing backup data.

  • R

    removable media

    Removable media is any type of storage device that can be removed from a computer while the system is running. Removable media makes it easy for a user to move data from one computer to another.

  • S

    storage snapshot

    A storage snapshot is a set of reference markers for data at a particular point in time (PIT). More specifically, it's a collection of saved application data and a comprehensive log that details how the saved data has changed over time.

  • T

    tape backup

    Tape backup is the practice of periodically copying data from a primary storage device to a tape cartridge.

  • tape library

    In data storage, a tape library is a collection of magnetic tape cartridges and tape drives.

  • V

    Veeam Backup & Replication

    Veeam Backup & Replication is a software product developed by Veeam Software to back up, restore and replicate data on virtual machines (VMs).

  • Veritas NetBackup (Symantec NetBackup)

    Veritas NetBackup -- known as Symantec NetBackup from 2005 to 2016 -- is a backup and recovery software suite designed for enterprise users.

  • VMware backup

    VMware backup is the copying of data on a virtual machine (VM) in a VMware environment to prevent data loss.