Data backup and data replication serve the common purpose of duplicating data, but they differ in their objectives. While data backup focuses on preserving the ability to retrieve data when needed, data replication is designed to maintain uninterrupted business operations in the event of a disaster.
| Backup | vs. | Replication |
| Copying physical or virtual files and databases to a secondary location for safekeeping so that they can be recovered when needed. |
Definition |
Maintaining up-to-date copies of data in multiple locations to allow instant failover to the secondary site when the primary source becomes unavailable. |
| To ensure that business-critical data is not lost during a security incident. |
Purpose |
To ensure that mission-critical applications continue to operate with little to no downtime during an incident. |
| Data is backed up on-premises or within the cloud. |
How it Works |
Data is stored in two on-premises software instances or appliances, between appliances set in separate locations, or two entirely geo-physically separated appliances through cloud-based services. |
| Data protection, data compliance, ease of data management. |
Benefits |
Business continuity, faster data accessibility, enhanced network performance. |
| Depends on backup technique, storage and retention requirements, and frequency. |
Costs |
Primarily depends on RPO and RTO goals. |
