A network administrator is configuring the backup schedule for an enterprise monitoring server. Storage space at the off-site repository is limited, but the primary requirement is to minimize the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) during a total disaster recovery event. The full backup is performed every Sunday evening. Which daily backup strategy should the administrator implement to achieve the shortest recovery time while meeting storage constraints?
- Daily differential backups, because full restoration requires only the Sunday full backup and the most recent differential backup.Answer
- BDaily incremental backups, because full restoration requires only the Sunday full backup and the single most recent incremental backup.
- CDaily incremental backups, because applying fewer media sets during recovery reduces total disk input/output operations.
- DDaily synthetic full backups, because creating full backup images daily eliminates the need for any baseline full backup restoration.
Answer
Daily differential backups should be implemented because restoring a system backed up with differential backups requires only the initial full baseline backup and the single most recent differential backup, thereby optimizing the Recovery Time Objective (RTO).
Differential backups save all changes made since the last full baseline backup. When restoring a system, the administrator only needs to restore the full baseline backup and the latest differential backup set. This two-step restoration process minimizes system downtime and lowers the Recovery Time Objective (RTO).
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Differential vs Incremental Backup Restoration Trade-offs