Backup facts for kids

A backup is a copy of your important data on a computer. Think of it like making a spare copy of your favorite game saves, photos, or school projects. If something happens to the original files, you can use the backup copy to get them back.

People often lose data. This can happen if a computer breaks, a file is accidentally deleted, or a virus attacks. Having a backup means you won't lose your precious files forever. Backups also let you go back to an earlier version of your data if you make a mistake or want to see how something looked before you changed it.

Backups are a key part of a "disaster recovery plan." This is a set of steps to follow if something bad happens to your computer system, like a fire or a major crash. It helps make sure your data stays safe and can be recovered.

Why Make Backups?

Making backups is super important for several reasons:

• To prevent losing data if a disaster happens. This could be a fire, a broken hard drive, or even accidentally deleting a file.
• To protect against computer viruses or other harmful programs that can make your files unusable.
• To fix mistakes if there's an error in your data.
• To recover files after a sudden computer shutdown, like during a power outage.

Where to Store Backups

You can store your backups on many different types of devices. These are called "backup media."

• Tapes: Special tapes like Digital Audio Tape or LTO can store a lot of data. They are good for large backups but can be slow to access.
• Hard Drives and SSDs: Hard drives and SSDs (Solid-State Drives) are common for backups. They are fast and can store a lot of information. You can use external hard drives that plug into your computer.
• Memory Cards and USB Drives: Small memory cards and USB flash drives are great for backing up smaller amounts of data. They are easy to carry around.
• Optical Disks: CDs and DVDs can also be used for backups, especially for photos or videos.
• Cloud Storage: Many people use "cloud storage" services online. This means your data is stored on powerful computers (servers) far away, and you can access it from anywhere with an internet connection.

Some backup media, like USB drives or external hard drives, are portable. This means you can easily take them to a safe place, like a friend's house or a secure locker. This protects your data even if something happens to your home.

Types of Backups

There are different ways to make backups, depending on how much data you want to copy and how often.

Full Backup

A full backup copies all of your data. It's like making a complete duplicate of everything.

• Pros: If you lose your main data, you can get everything back easily from just one backup.
• Cons: Full backups take the longest time to complete and use the most storage space.

Differential Backup

A differential backup only copies the data that has changed since your last full backup.

• Pros: These backups are much faster than full backups because they copy less data.
• Cons: If you need to restore your data, you'll need both your last full backup and the latest differential backup.

Incremental Backup

An incremental backup copies only the data that has changed since your last backup (which could be a full, differential, or another incremental backup).

• Pros: These are the fastest backups to make and use the least storage space.
• Cons: Restoring data is more complex. You need your last full backup, plus all the incremental backups made since then, in the correct order. This makes it slower and a bit riskier to get your data back.

How Long to Keep Backups

It's a good idea to keep different backups for different lengths of time. One common method is called the Grandfather-Father-Son system.

• Son: These are your most recent backups, often done daily. You might keep a week's worth of these.
• Father: These are weekly backups. You might keep one backup from each week for a month.
• Grandfather: These are monthly backups. You might keep one backup from each month for a year or even longer.

This system ensures you have many recent copies in case a new backup fails. It also gives you older copies if you realize you need a file from a long time ago.

Images for kids

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  From left to right, a DVD disc in plastic cover, a USB flash drive and an external hard drive

See also

In Spanish: Copia de seguridad para niños