Backup granularity describes the level of detail characterizing backup data. In data
backup and restore systems, increased granularity improves recovery point objectives because the backup process operates using more discrete granules or increments of data, minimizing the amount of data lost during a system restore. Disk-to-disk backup systems generally offer finer levels of
backup granularity using incremental backups and
continuous data protection (CDP), a process which mirrors data to backup storage as it is written to disk. CDP offers almost unlimited backup granularity. Generally speaking, the more granularity a backup system offers, the more flexible that platform is to suit a range of different applications and requirements.
For backup of applications such as Exchange™ and other mail servers, backup granularity is provided in features like
message-level restore (MLR), which allows backup administrators to retrieve individual email messages rather than entire mailboxes, personal folders or system profiles. In this way, increased backup granularity can also translate to decreased administration time and cost savings.
Backup granularity is a critical issue for businesses operating under Federal regulations, in order to comply with rules regarding the storage, retrieval and destruction of electronic records. Item-level granularity is an important consideration for organizations requiring a
data backup infrastructure that facilitates regulatory compliance while minimizing administration time for accessing information. A data
backup and restore system designed for maximum granularity reduces recovery time, improves recovery point objectives and significantly reduces the amount of labor investment required on the part of a backup administrator.
