Complete copy of all selected data, providing a standalone recovery point.
A full backup copies all selected data, creating a complete, standalone recovery point. Full backups are simplest for recovery—everything needed is in one backup set. However, full backups consume more time, bandwidth, and storage than incremental approaches. Most backup strategies combine periodic full backups with incremental backups between them, balancing recovery simplicity with efficiency.
Why It Matters
The DSC Perspective:
Full backups provide simple, complete recovery points. Understand when your backup solution creates full backups and how they affect recovery procedures and timing.