Definition

Noun: 1. A duplicate copy of data stored on a separate storage device: A "computer backup" is a safeguard created by copying files, directories, or entire systems to a secondary location (like an external hard drive or cloud storage) to protect against data loss from damage, deletion, or corruption of the original.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • It is crucial to create a regular computer backup of your important documents.
  • The IT department restored the lost files from the latest computer backup.
  • Without a recent computer backup, recovering from the hard drive failure was impossible.

Advanced Usage

• "to run a computer backup": to execute the process of creating a backup.
  • The system is scheduled to run a full computer backup every Sunday night.
• "backup and recovery": a common IT term referring to the combined processes of creating backups and restoring data from them.
  • A robust backup and recovery plan is essential for business continuity.

Variants and Related Words

• Backup (noun, often used without "computer" in context): the copy of data itself or the process of creating it.
  • Make sure you have a backup.
• Back up (phrasal verb): the action of creating a backup.
  • Remember to back up your files.
• Incremental backup (noun): a backup that only saves data changed since the last backup.
• Full backup (noun): a backup that saves all selected data.

Synonyms

• Data copy: a duplicate set of data.
• Archive: a collection of historical records or data, often for long-term storage.
• Snapshot: a point-in-time copy of a system's state or data.

Related Phrases

• Disaster recovery: the process of resuming normal operations after a major data loss event, often reliant on backups.
• Offsite backup: a backup stored in a physical location separate from the primary data, protecting against local disasters.

Noun

1. (computer science) a copy of a file or directory on a separate storage device
   • he made a backup in case the original was accidentally damaged or erased