Backup and Recovery

5 minutes 5 Questions

Backup and recovery are essential strategies in safeguarding the integrity and availability of data and applications within an operating system. Regular backups of critical data ensure that information can be restored in the event of hardware failure, data loss, or malware attacks. Recovery involve…

Guide to Backup and Recovery for CompTIA A+

Backup and Recovery is an important section that is examined in the CompTIA A+ certification.

Why it is Important:
Backup and Recovery processes are crucial in safeguarding data and ensuring business continuity in the face of data loss or systems failures. They enable an organization to restore crucial information promptly and accurately, which can be a defense against potential deletion, corruption, or system failures.

What it is:
Backup refers to the process of making copies of data or data files to use in the event the original data or files are lost or destroyed. Recovery, on the other hand, is about restoring data and returning to normal operations following a disaster or data loss.

How it Works:
During a backup, data is copied and stored in another location, such as an external hard drive or cloud storage. The recovery process involves restoring the data from the backup storage to the original location or to a new location if the original is no longer usable.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Backup and Recovery
1. Understand the Different Types of Backups: Full, Incremental, and Differential backups have unique features. Know when each is applied.
2. Know Different Backup Storage Options: Cloud, External hard drives, Network Attached Storage (NAS), etc. Understand the benefits and limitations of each.
3. Understand Recovery Techniques: Be able to distinguish between methods such as Bare-Metal Restore, selective recovery, and point-in-time recovery.
4. Practice Scenario-Based Questions: Practice exams often have scenario-based questions that test your understanding of when and how to apply backup and recovery processes.
5. Review your Concepts: Revisit your textbook to understand concepts like Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO).

Test mode:

Exam (Timed)

Practice (With explanations)

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Question 1

Which backup method creates a copy of all selected files, regardless of their archive bit status?

Full backup Incremental backup Differential backup Copy backup with archive bit reset

Correct Answer: Full backup

The correct answer is 'Full backup'.

A full backup creates a complete copy of all selected files, regardless of their archive bit status. This method is comprehensive and backs up every selected file, whether it has been modified since the last backup or not.

Here's why the other options are incorrect:

Incremental backup only copies files that have changed since the last backup, using the archive bit to determine which files to copy.

Differential backup copies all files that have changed since the last full backup, but it still relies on the archive bit to identify changed files.

Copy backup with archive bit reset is not a standard backup method. While it might create a full copy, resetting the archive bit would interfere with other backup types that rely on this bit for tracking changes.

A full backup is the most comprehensive method, ensuring all selected files are copied regardless of their modification status or archive bit.

Question 2

An IT administrator notices that recent backups are taking up too much storage space. Which action should they take to reduce storage requirements?

Change to a full backup schedule Delete old backups Change to an incremental backup schedule Upgrade computer storage

Correct Answer: Change to an incremental backup schedule

Changing to an incremental backup schedule is the best action to reduce storage requirements. Incremental backups only store the changes made since the last backup, resulting in smaller backup sizes compared to full backups. Full backups create a complete copy of all data each time, consuming more storage space. Deleting old backups can help free up space but may not be the best long-term solution and could lead to data loss if backups are needed. Upgrading computer storage would increase capacity but does not address the underlying issue of inefficient backup processes.

Question 3

A company experiences regular power outages. What backup plan should the IT administrator implement to ensure data integrity?

No Backup Plan Full Backups Only Differential Backups Only Full Backups with Incremental Backups

Correct Answer: Full Backups with Incremental Backups

The best backup plan to ensure data integrity during regular power outages is to implement full backups with incremental backups. Full backups create a complete copy of all data, while incremental backups only backup data that has changed since the last full or incremental backup. This combination allows for efficient use of storage space and faster backup and restore times compared to using only full backups. Using only differential backups is not as efficient as incremental backups because each differential backup includes all changes since the last full backup, resulting in larger backup sizes over time. Having no backup plan leaves the company vulnerable to permanent data loss in case of power outages or other disasters.

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