{"id":105560,"date":"2022-04-28T08:49:54","date_gmt":"2022-04-28T15:49:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/?p=105560"},"modified":"2023-01-03T12:11:58","modified_gmt":"2023-01-03T20:11:58","slug":"whats-the-diff-file-level-vs-block-level-incremental-backups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/whats-the-diff-file-level-vs-block-level-incremental-backups\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s the Diff: File-Level vs. Block-Level Incremental Backups"},"content":{"rendered":"

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If you\u2019ve stumbled upon this blog, chances are you already know that you need to be backing up your data to protect your home or business. Maybe you\u2019re a hobbyist with over 1,000 digital movies in your collection and you lie awake at night, worrying about what would happen if your toddler spills juice on your NAS (let\u2019s face it, toddlers are data disasters waiting to happen). Or you\u2019re a media and entertainment professional worried about keeping archives of your past projects on an on-premises device. Or maybe that tornado that hit your area last week caused you to think twice about keeping all of your data on-premises.<\/p>\n

Whether you have a background in IT or not, the many different configuration options for your backup software and cloud storage can be confusing. Today, we\u2019re hoping to clear up one common question when it comes to backup strategies\u2014understanding the difference between file-level and block-level incremental backups.<\/p>\n

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Refresher: Full vs. Incremental Backups<\/h4>\n

First things first, let\u2019s define what we\u2019re dealing with: the difference between full and incremental backups. The first step in any backup plan is to perform a full backup<\/strong> of your data. Plan to do this on a slow day because it can take a long time and hog a lot of bandwidth. Of course, if you\u2019re a Backblaze customer, you can also use the Backblaze Fireball<\/a> to get your data into Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage without taking up precious internet resources.<\/p>\n

You should plan on regularly performing full backups because it\u2019s always a good idea to have a fresh, full copy of your entire data set. Some people perform full backups weekly, some might do them monthly or even less often; it\u2019s up to you as you plan your backup strategy.<\/p>\n

Then, typically, incremental backups<\/strong> are performed in between your full backups. Want to know more about the difference between full and incremental backups and the considerations for each? Check out our recent blog post<\/a> on the different types of backups.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What\u2019s the Diff: File-level vs. Block-level Incremental Backups<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s take it to the next level. Incremental backups back up what has been changed or added since your last full backup. Within the category of incremental backups, there are two standard options: file-level and block-level incremental backups<\/strong>. Many backup tools and devices, like network attached storage (NAS) devices, offer these options in the configuration settings, so it\u2019s important to understand the difference. After you decide which type of incremental backup is best for you, check your backup software or device\u2019s support articles to see if you can configure this setting for yourself.<\/p>\n

File-level Incremental Backups<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When a file-level incremental backup<\/strong> is performed and a file has been modified, the entire<\/em> file is copied to your backup repository. This takes longer than performing a block-level backup because your backup software will scan all your files to see which ones have changed since the last full backup and will then back up the entire modified file again.<\/p>\n

Imagine that you have a really big file and you make one small change to that file; with file-level backups, the whole file is re-uploaded. This likely sounds pretty inefficient, but there are some advantages to a file-level backup:<\/p>\n