Differential Backups
Differential backups are a data backup strategy that captures all changes made since the last full backup, rather than since the last backup of any type. This method reduces backup time and storage compared to full backups while simplifying restoration compared to incremental backups. It is commonly used in database management, file systems, and enterprise IT environments to balance efficiency and recovery speed.
Developers should learn differential backups when working with systems requiring regular data protection, such as databases, application servers, or critical infrastructure, to minimize downtime and data loss. Use cases include backing up SQL Server databases, virtual machine snapshots, or large file repositories where restoring from a full backup plus the latest differential is faster than from multiple incremental backups. It is particularly useful in scenarios with moderate data change rates and when recovery time objectives (RTO) are a priority.