What are the various types of backups in database management?

In the context of database management, backups are crucial for data recovery and protection. The types of backups identified in the correct choice—full, incremental, differential, and mirror backups—each serve specific purposes and are commonly utilized in database administration.

A full backup captures the entire database at a specific point in time, ensuring complete restoration capabilities. Incremental backups, on the other hand, only save changes made since the last backup, whether it was a full or incremental one. This approach allows for efficient use of storage and quicker backup processes since it records only the latest modifications. Differential backups, which capture all changes made since the most recent full backup, strike a balance by providing a quicker restoration than a full backup while avoiding the complexity of multiple incremental backups. Finally, mirror backups maintain an exact copy of the source data, reflecting the current state of the database, which can be useful for real-time data replication.

The combination of these backup types provides a robust strategy for data protection, allowing administrators to balance between speed, storage efficiency, and restoration accuracy.