Backup scheduling modes
Unitrends provides several backup scheduling modes that control the type of data each job run collects. Choosing the right mode—or combination of modes—determines how much storage your backup chain requires and how quickly you can recover.
Standard backup modes
When creating or editing a backup job, the Job Details and Options step lets you select a backup mode. The three standard modes are:
- Full — Backs up all selected data regardless of when it last changed. Full backups are the foundation of every backup chain; incremental and differential backups cannot run until a full exists.
- Incremental — Backs up data that has changed since the most recent backup of any type. Incrementals are smaller and faster than fulls, making them the most storage-efficient recurring option. Recovery requires the last full backup plus all subsequent incrementals in sequence.
- Differential — Backs up data that has changed since the most recent full backup. Differentials are larger than incrementals but simplify recovery: you need only the last full and the most recent differential.
How backup scheduling modes work
Choosing a standard mode
Most environments use a recurring standard-mode schedule—for example, a full every Sunday with incrementals Monday through Saturday. Standard modes work for all supported asset types and require no additional configuration beyond selecting the mode in the job dialog.
Custom mode
The Custom mode replaces the standard mode selection with a week-by-week calendar interface. Use it when your recovery objectives require a pattern that standard modes cannot express—for example, a full on the first day of each month, differentials mid-week, and incrementals on all other days.
In the calendar interface, you drag backup types from a palette onto specific days of the week. Each day can hold a different backup type. Unitrends follows the calendar pattern on a rolling weekly basis. Custom mode is available for all asset types that support standard scheduling.
