The importance of data backup
What should be backed up?
In an ideal world, if the cost of storage space was no object, every system would be backed up. A backup copy of your home computer include the operating system, program files, personal documents, device drivers and everything else on your computer. Operating system can be reinstalled from disks and programs can be downloaded again, but the photographs of your holiday or the last school report you wrote could not be replaced without being re-created.
Backup models
- Manually choosing a selection of files to be saved onto a disk. This is useful for backing up a small selection of essential files. It is known as an unstructured backup.
- Creating a copy of every file, both personal documents and system files, stored on a computer hard drive in case of a serious failure. This is often called creating an image of a computer.
IGCSE ICT 