Database backup and recovery techniques are methods used to create and maintain copies of a database in case of data loss, corruption, or other types of disasters. These techniques ensure that important data is not permanently lost and can be recovered quickly in case of any unforeseen events.

In this blog we will learn different types of Database backup and recovery techniques and their importance…

Why do we need Database backup and recovery techniques?

  1. Protecting against data loss: Databases are critical to the operations of many businesses and organizations. If a database were to become corrupted or lost, it could result in significant financial losses or damage to a company's reputation. By implementing backup and recovery techniques, organizations can ensure that they have a copy of their data that can be restored in the event of a disaster or other data loss event.
  2. Ensuring business continuity: When a database becomes unavailable, it can result in significant downtime for an organization. By implementing backup and recovery techniques, organizations can reduce downtime and ensure that they can continue their operations even in the event of a data loss event.
  3. Meeting compliance requirements: Many industries are required to comply with strict data protection regulations. Backup and recovery techniques can help organizations meet these requirements and ensure that they are not subject to fines or other penalties.
  4. Facilitating disaster recovery: Disasters can strike at any time, and organizations need to be prepared. Backup and recovery techniques can help organizations quickly recover from disasters and minimize the impact on their operations.

Difference between Backup and Recovery

Backup and recovery are two related concepts in database management systems (DBMS), but they refer to different processes.

Backup refers to the process of creating a copy of a database or a portion of it, in case the original data is lost or damaged. A backup can be used to restore the database to its previous state in case of a disaster or data loss event. Backups can be full, incremental, differential, or snapshot, and they are usually scheduled to run automatically at regular intervals.

Recovery, on the other hand, refers to the process of restoring a database to its previous state after a data loss event has occurred. Recovery typically involves restoring the database from a backup and applying transaction logs or other data recovery methods to bring the database up to date. Recovery can be time-consuming, and it may require the expertise of a database administrator to ensure that the restored data is consistent and accurate.

Types of database Backup techniques

Some of the most common types of database backup techniques include:

  1. Full Backup: This type of backup technique involves copying the entire database, including all data and schema objects. Full backups provide a comprehensive and complete copy of the database, but they require significant storage space and can take a long time to complete.
  2. Incremental Backup: This type of backup technique involves copying only the changes made to the database since the last backup. Incremental backups require less storage space and are faster than full backups, but they take longer to restore.
  3. Differential Backup: This type of backup technique involves copying only the changes made to the database since the last full backup. Differential backups require less storage space and are faster to restore than incremental backups.
  4. Snapshot Backup: This type of backup technique involves creating a point-in-time copy of the database. Snapshot backups are useful for creating backups quickly and can be used for testing or development purposes.
  5. Continuous Data Protection (CDP): This type of backup technique involves continuous backup and captures changes made to the database in near-real-time. CDP ensures that the most recent version of the database is always available for recovery.
  6. Replication: This type of backup technique involves creating multiple copies of the database. Replication can be used for disaster recovery purposes or to improve the performance of read-intensive applications.

Comparison:

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Types of database recovery techniques

There are several types of database recovery techniques that can be used to restore a database to its previous state after a data loss event. Some of the most common types of database recovery techniques include:

  1. Rollback Recovery: This type of recovery technique involves undoing the changes made to the database since the last commit point. The rollback recovery technique can be used to recover from a transaction failure or a system crash.
  2. Forward Recovery: This type of recovery technique involves applying the changes made to the database since the last commit point. Forward recovery is used when a database failure occurs during the middle of a transaction or when a system crash occurs.
  3. Point-in-Time Recovery: This type of recovery technique involves restoring the database to a specific point in time before the data loss event occurred. Point-in-time recovery can be used to recover from logical errors, such as accidental deletion of data.
  4. Online Recovery: This type of recovery technique involves recovering the database while it is still in use. Online recovery is used to minimize downtime and ensure that the database remains available during the recovery process.
  5. Parallel Recovery: This type of recovery technique involves using multiple processors or servers to recover the database in parallel. Parallel recovery can be used to reduce the recovery time and ensure that the database is available as quickly as possible.
  6. Image Copy Recovery: This type of recovery technique involves restoring the database from an image copy, which is a physical copy of the database stored on a separate device. Image copy recovery is used to recover from hardware failures or disasters that result in the loss of the entire database.

Comparison:

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Conclusion

In conclusion, having a reliable database backup and recovery strategy is essential for any organization that relies on critical data. Database backups help ensure that in the event of a data loss, a recent copy of the database can be restored quickly and easily, minimizing the impact on business operations. On the other hand, recovery techniques help to restore the database to its previous state after a data loss event has occurred.

There are several types of database backup and recovery techniques available, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The selection of the appropriate backup and recovery technique depends on various factors, such as the type and frequency of data changes, the recovery time objective (RTO), and the recovery point objective (RPO). Therefore, it is important for organizations to work with database administrators and IT professionals to develop a backup and recovery strategy that best meets their needs.

Ultimately, by implementing reliable backup and recovery techniques, organizations can ensure the continuity of their business operations and minimize the impact of data loss events, thus protecting the integrity and availability of their critical data.

References

  1. Kim, H., Yeom, H. Y., & Sont, Y. (2020). An Efficient Database Backup and Recovery Scheme using Write-Ahead Logging. 2020 IEEE 13th International Conference on Cloud Computing (CLOUD), IEEE Xplore.
  2. Son, Y., Kim, Y., Kim, J., & Moon, B. (2017). SSD-Assisted Backup and Recovery for Database Systems. 2017 IEEE 33rd International Conference on Data Engineering (ICDE), IEEE.
  3. Reuter, A., & Härder, T. (1987). Recovery Techniques for Database Systems. ACM Comput. Surv. 10, 2 (June 1978), 167–195. ACM.
  4. Hossain, M. A., Hasan, M. I., Islam, M. R., & Ahmed, N. (2021). A Novel Recovery Process in Time Lagged Server using Point in Time Recovery (PITR). 2021 24th International Conference on Computer and Information Technology (ICCIT), IEEE.
  5. Gotseva, D., Gancheva, V., & Georgiev, I. (2011). Database backup strategies and recovery models. Challenges in Higher Education & Research, vol. 9 eds. T. Tashev, R. Deliyski, B. Lepadatescu, Heron Press, Sofia, 2011. Research Gate.
  6. Sharma, S., Agiwal, P., Gaherwal, R., Mewada, S., & Sharma, P. (2016). Analysis of Recovery Techniques in Database Management System. Research Journal of Computer and Information Technology Sciences, International Science Community Association.

~Authors

Shruti Nayak

Neilkrishna Kabara

Darshan Nere