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Appendix A: Understanding the Types of Backups
Many software packages create file-based backups, while Image for Linux creates
a sector-based backup. This section describes both types of backups and their
differences.
File-Based Backup
When you create a file-based backup, you copy files from one storage location to
another using a third-party software package, the built in Microsoft backup utility or
by dragging-and-dropping files and/or folders using Windows Explorer.
Creating a file-based backup is simple, and you can backup or restore only certain
files or folders. But, a file-based backup it has drawbacks. For example, files that
are in use may not be backed up. And, restoring a file-based backup can be tricky:
Files in use cannot be restored.
If the required operating system environment and software is not installed and
accessible, you will first need to install it before you can restore any data.
Sector-Based Backup
A sector-based backup, also called imaging, differs from file-based backup because
imaging operates on the entire partition, including all files and the operating system
itself. This is the method of backup employed by Image for Linux.
When you create a sector-based image as your backup, you back up not only your
data files but also the operating system, in its entirety. If you restore a sector-based
backup, your computer returns to the state it was in when you created the image.
Image for Linux places all information on the target drive in the exact location where
it appeared when you created the image.
In addition, you can:
*
Restore a sector-based backup even if the operating system isn’t accessible—
effectively performing a bare-metal restoration.
*
Restore individual files, if you want, using the free TBIView or TBIMount addons.
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