What is the difference between online backup and offline backup?

Digg This!     StumbleUpon     Del.icio.us

RELATED CONTENT Networking help desk What is wireless networking? What is network infrastructure and what is a hybrid network? What is the definition of ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode)? Which are the most valuable networking certifications? Wireless vs. Wi-Fi: What is the difference between Wi-Fi and WLAN? How can I sign up for SearchNetworking.com contest notifications? What is IP? Can I get monthly updates of IT networking content? Can I read SearchNetworking.com's information in other languages? Bridge vs. switch Network Administration Why is access denied to my Active Directory (AD) users and computers? What network loss testing tools/methods calculate dropped packets from a PC? Network user management Do I have to disable DHCP on my router to create a DHCP server? What preventative maintenance procedures for network devices exist? Top 10 reasons why computers do not have network access to each other Troubleshooting -- 'Network Know-How' Chapter 17 How server virtualization improves efficiency in a client-server model Understand Windows tracert output to troubleshoot network connectivity Why would a computer show drive letters for discs that don't exist? Network Administration Research

RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary availability  (SearchNetworking.com) carrier detect  (SearchNetworking.com) fiber jumper  (SearchNetworking.com) layer 2  (SearchNetworking.com) MAE  (SearchNetworking.com) Network layer  (SearchNetworking.com) networking  (SearchNetworking.com) OSI  (SearchNetworking.com) patch cord  (SearchNetworking.com) staggered quadrature phase-shift keying  (SearchNetworking.com)

RELATED RESOURCES 2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary

Offline backup, according to Whatis.com, also called "cold backup," is a database backup performed when the database is disconnected from the network -- in other words, offline -- and thus not accessible for updating. This is the safest way to back up because it avoids the risk of copying data that may be in the process of being updated. However, a cold backup involves downtime because users cannot use the database while it is being backed up.

In contrast, online backup is a method of offsite data storage in which files, folders, or the entire contents of a hard drive are regularly backed up on a remote server or computer with a network connection. A number of companies provide online backup services for subscribers whose computers are connected to the Internet, automatically copying selected files to backup storage at the service provider's location. This is sometimes called Web-based backup.

You can read more about online backup on Whatis.com.

Also, our sister site, SearchExchange.com, offers a tip about online versus offline backups for Exchange Server.