Incremental backup provides a much faster method of backing up data than repeatedly running full backups. During an incremental backup only the files that have changed since the most recent backup are included. That is where it gets its name: each backup is an increment since the most recent backup. 

The time it takes to execute the backup may be a fraction of the time it takes to perform a full backup. 
The advantage of lower backup times comes at a price: increased restore time. When restoring from incremental backup, you need the most recent full backup as well as EVERY incremental backup you've made since the last full backup. 

For example, if you did a full backup on Friday and incrementals on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and the PC crashes Thursday morning, you would need all four backup container files: Friday's full backup plus the incremental backup for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. As a comparison, if you had done differential backup on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, then to restore on Thursday morning you'd only need Friday's full backup plus Wednesday's differential.

Advantages:

• Backing up is the fastest
• The storage space requirements are the lowest
• There is less wear and tear on your Hardware. Therefore, in theory, your hardware will last longer.

Disadvantages: 

• When considering this method, you need to know that if ONE of your daily tapes in your tape set is damaged or lost, then you cannot restore the files that you need. (This is why I don't recommend this method of backing up your data.) I'll explain why, later.
• Restore is the slowest

• Cost estimating a potential disaster 
• Selecting a Backup Strategy
• Differential Backup's
• Incremental Backup's
• Protecting your Data
• Tower of Hanoi Tape Rotation
• Protecting your investments home page
• Check out our blog at www.daleallen.net where Robert Pajak has written an article about backups.

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