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Quizzes > Computers & IT

Data Recovery and Backups Quiz: Check Your Core Knowledge

Quick, free backup types assessment. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Aloysius FengUpdated Aug 26, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
Questions: 20
Learning OutcomesStudy Material
Colorful paper art illustration for a Data Backup Knowledge Assessment quiz.

Use this quiz to check your grasp of data backup strategies, restore fundamentals, and safe recovery habits in 15 quick questions. Get instant feedback and brief tips after each answer to reinforce what matters most. For related skills, try the business continuity test, build awareness with the cyber awareness test, or practice troubleshooting through the it support quiz.

Which backup method copies all selected data every time it runs?
Differential backup
Full backup
Snapshot backup
Incremental backup
A full backup duplicates all the chosen data each time it runs, ensuring a complete copy is created. Incremental and differential backups capture only changes. Snapshots are point-in-time representations but not full data copies.
Which backup method only captures data changed since the last backup of any type?
Differential backup
Mirror backup
Full backup
Incremental backup
Incremental backups record only the changes made since the most recent backup operation, whether full or incremental. This reduces storage and backup time compared to full or differential methods. Mirror backups provide real-time copies but are not incremental in nature.
Which backup type captures all changes since the last full backup?
Incremental backup
Full backup
Mirror backup
Differential backup
Differential backups include all data changes since the last full backup, growing larger over time until the next full backup. Incremental backups only include changes since any last backup, making them smaller. Full backups copy everything, while mirror backups continuously duplicate data.
What is a key advantage of using cloud-based backups?
On-demand scalability
Zero ongoing costs
No need for Internet connectivity
Instant local restore without bandwidth
Cloud-based backups offer on-demand scalability, allowing organizations to increase or decrease storage without physical hardware. They do require Internet connectivity and incur ongoing costs based on usage. Local restores may be limited by bandwidth.
What is the primary purpose of a backup retention policy?
Determine network bandwidth usage
Set backup encryption standards
Schedule daily backup times
Define how long backups are kept
A retention policy specifies the duration backups must be stored to meet regulatory or business requirements. Encryption, scheduling, and bandwidth considerations are separate backup aspects. Retention ensures that older backups are expired appropriately.
To achieve a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 15 minutes for a transactional database, how often should backups occur?
Every 15 minutes
Once per week
Once per month
Once per day
An RPO of 15 minutes means that data loss should not exceed 15 minutes, so backups must run at least every 15 minutes. Daily, weekly, or monthly backups would exceed the RPO window. Frequent backups reduce potential data loss.
Which backup retention model uses daily, weekly, and monthly sets to balance storage and compliance requirements?
Grandfather-father-son rotation
Continuous backup
Differential rollover
Infinite retention
The grandfather-father-son rotation uses daily (son), weekly (father), and monthly (grandfather) backups to retain data over different periods while managing storage. Continuous backup retains every change, infinite retention uses all backups indefinitely, and differential rollover is not a standard model.
What is a primary risk if backup servers reside on the same network segment as production servers without proper isolation?
Improved backup deduplication
Faster backup throughput
Lower storage costs
Ransomware can spread to backups
Without network segmentation, ransomware or malware on production servers can propagate to backup servers, compromising backup integrity. Proper isolation prevents threats from affecting backups. Other options do not address security risks.
Which best practice helps verify the integrity of backup data over time?
Scheduling backups during peak hours
Regularly performing backup integrity checks
Deleting old backups immediately
Encrypting backups at rest only
Integrity checks validate that backup data is complete and uncorrupted, ensuring reliability when restoring. Encryption protects confidentiality but not integrity verification. Scheduling or deleting backups does not confirm data integrity.
In the 3-2-1 backup rule, what does the second '2' represent?
Two backup schedules
Two encryption keys
Two backup locations
Two different storage media
The 3-2-1 rule states you should have three copies of data, on two different media, and one offsite. The second '2' refers to using at least two distinct storage media types. It does not specify locations or schedules.
Which measure secures backups during transmission to an offsite location?
Storing backups uncompressed
Encrypting backups in transit
Compressing backup files
Using FTP without TLS
Encrypting data in transit protects backups from interception or tampering while being sent offsite. Compression reduces size but doesn't secure data. FTP without TLS is insecure, and uncompressed storage has no impact on transit security.
For large datasets and limited backup windows, which backup method best minimizes daily backup time?
Mirror backups
Full backups
Incremental backups
Differential backups
Incremental backups only capture changes since the last backup, greatly reducing backup time for large datasets. Full backups take the longest, and differential backups grow larger each day. Mirror backups continuously sync data but aren't optimized for scheduled windows.
Which restoration technique recovers individual files from a point-in-time image without full system recovery?
File-level restore from snapshot
Incremental restore
Bare-metal restore
System state recovery
A file-level restore from a snapshot allows recovery of specific files without restoring the entire system. Bare-metal restores rebuild the whole system, system state recovery targets OS settings, and incremental restore refers to applying incremental backups.
What does Recovery Time Objective (RTO) specify?
Maximum data loss window
Frequency of backups
Maximum acceptable downtime
Backup encryption level
RTO defines the maximum amount of time allowed to restore services after an outage. It does not address data loss window (RPO), backup frequency, or encryption levels. Meeting RTO ensures acceptable downtime limits.
What is a synthetic full backup?
A backup that only backs up changed blocks
A full backup constructed from existing full and incremental backups
A backup stored in the cloud
A backup taken as a disk image snapshot
A synthetic full backup is created by merging previous full and incremental backups into a single full image at the backup target. It avoids running a traditional full read from source data. It's distinct from block-level, cloud, or snapshot backups.
To meet a 5-minute RPO and 1-hour RTO for a 24/7 database, which strategy is most appropriate?
Continuous data protection with offsite replication and hourly synthetic fulls
Daily full backups with no offsite replication
Weekly full backups with daily differentials
Monthly full backups with weekly incrementals
Continuous data protection captures changes in near real-time to meet a 5-minute RPO, while offsite replication ensures quick recovery within an hour RTO, supplemented by synthetic fulls. Weekly or monthly schedules cannot satisfy such tight objectives. Offsite replication is essential for rapid failover.
After discovering backups corrupted due to misconfigured credentials, which action best prevents recurrence?
Increase backup frequency to hourly
Disable backup encryption
Implement automated backup validation and monitoring
Switch to full backups only
Automated validation and monitoring detect issues like credential failures before they corrupt backups, ensuring reliable backups. Increasing frequency, switching backup types, or disabling encryption does not address the root cause of misconfiguration.
Which backup practice can inadvertently cause the backup window to grow exponentially over time?
Backing up to high-performance storage
Using only incremental backups
Enforcing a strict retention policy
Relying solely on differential backups without periodic fulls
Differential backups accumulate all changes since the last full backup, causing their size and duration to grow until the next full. Incrementals remain small, retention policies manage deletion, and high-performance storage typically speeds backups rather than slowing them.
During restore, missing transaction logs can lead to which issue?
Automatic log reconstruction
Inability to achieve a consistent state
Faster recovery time
Reduced storage requirements
Missing transaction logs prevent applying recent transactions, which is necessary to bring a database or system to a consistent point. This failure hinders consistent restoration. It does not speed recovery or reduce storage, nor do systems auto-generate missing logs.
Which technology enforces immutable backups to protect against ransomware tampering?
Incremental backup scheduling
Write Once Read Many (WORM) storage
Snapshot chaining
RAID 1 mirroring
WORM storage prevents any alteration or deletion of data once written, securing backups from ransomware. RAID mirroring duplicates data but can be corrupted, incremental scheduling and snapshots do not inherently enforce immutability.
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Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse different data backup methods and their use cases.
  2. Evaluate backup frequency and retention policies for reliability.
  3. Identify potential risks and vulnerabilities in backup systems.
  4. Apply best practices to design a robust backup strategy.
  5. Demonstrate restoration techniques to recover lost or corrupted data.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Understand Different Backup Methods - Think of backup types like packing for a trip: full backups copy your entire suitcase, incremental backups only pack what's changed since the last trip, and differential backups grab everything that's changed since your big pack. Mastering each method ensures you strike the right balance between speed, storage space, and recovery time.
  2. Implement the 3-2-1 Backup Rule - Keep three copies of your precious data, store them on two different media, and tuck one safely offsite - like having a secret hideaway for your most important files. This simple yet powerful rule boosts your resilience against hardware failures, cyberattacks, or natural disasters.
  3. Establish Clear Backup Retention Policies - Decide how long to keep daily, weekly, and monthly backups based on your needs and legal requirements. Well-defined retention policies keep your storage tidy, costs down, and data ready whenever you need to rewind.
  4. Regularly Test Backup and Restoration Processes - A backup that can't be restored is like a parachute that never opens - worthless when you need it most. Schedule test recoveries to verify integrity, build confidence, and uncover hidden issues before a real emergency strikes.
  5. Secure Backups with Encryption and Access Controls - Lock down your backups by encrypting data at rest and in transit, then guard the keys with strict user permissions. This double defense keeps prying eyes out and ensures only authorized heroes can rescue your files.
  6. Automate Backup Processes - Let reliable software handle the heavy lifting instead of relying on memory or sticky notes. Automation guarantees backups happen on time, every time, freeing you to focus on the fun stuff without worrying about data gaps.
  7. Develop a Comprehensive Disaster Recovery Plan - Map out step-by-step procedures, assign roles, and set clear objectives to bounce back swiftly after any data disaster. A solid recovery plan turns panic into confidence, ensuring your team knows exactly what to do when seconds count.
  8. Monitor Backup Performance and Logs - Keep an eye on backup run-times, error alerts, and storage usage like a detective tracking clues. Proactive monitoring spots hiccups early, so you can fix issues before they snowball into major data failures.
  9. Educate Staff on Backup Procedures and Policies - Make sure every team member knows why backups matter, how to trigger them, and who to call if something goes wrong. A well-trained crew adds an extra layer of defense against human error and keeps your data ship sailing smoothly.
  10. Stay Informed About Emerging Backup Technologies - Explore innovations like Continuous Data Protection (CDP) and cloud-native backups to supercharge your data defense. Embracing new tech keeps you ahead of threats and ready to level up your backup game.
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