Comprehensive Understanding of Mirror Backups

When you start managing websites, you start to explore backup options to protect their important data. One popular method that comes up is mirror backups. 

A mirror backup creates exact copies of files in real time. Any change you make on the live site, is immediately reflected in the backup. This also means that there is no redundancy. The mirror backup doesn’t create a new copy to reflect changes. It just overwrites the existing backup. So, if something happens to your site or the backup, you have nothing to fall back on. 

This article will tell you everything you need to know about mirror backups. By the end, you will have all the information you need to decide if it is for you. 

TL;DR: Mirror backups aren’t ideal since they don’t store historical data. If you accidentally delete or alter a file, you can’t retrieve it with a backup. Instead, we recommend using WordPress backup tools like BlogVault. 

What are mirror backups?

Mirror backups create an exact replica of your site. This means they backup all the data on your site first and then changes to reflect the live site. 

While they sound the same, a mirror backup is different from a full backup. 

A mirror backup continuously updates to reflect current data. In contrast, a full backup captures a complete snapshot of your site at a specific point in time. To simplify, a mirror backup is like a live security camera feed that shows real-time events, while a full backup is like taking a photograph that captures a moment exactly as it is.

This leads to a big downside with mirror backups. They do not provide historical versioning. You cannot restore your site to an older date. If you accidentally deleted a file today, you can’t restore it easily. 

How do mirror backups work?

Mirror backups start by taking a full copy of the data that needs to be includes in a backup. Every time you make a change on the live site, these changes immediately overwrite the existing backup. 

For example, you maintain a blog and start by creating two categories—fiction and non-fiction. But, as your site grows, you add sub-categories like sci-fi and biographies. You now sort out all your posts into those categories. 

The mirror backup will delete the old fiction and non-fiction folders and recreate them to match the new structure on the live site. This process might take some time to complete. The time taken depends on the size of your website, which, in this case, is the number of blogs it has.

When you need to restore data, mirror backups let you restore everything exactly as it currently exists easily. So, if you deleted a file in the live site, it can’t be restored with the backup.

Should you implement mirror backups?

Now that we know how mirror backups work, let’s look at their pros and cons. Understanding them can help you decide if they’re right for your website backup strategy.

Pros

• Reduces downtime in case of data failures

Cons

• Lacks historical data versions, limiting recovery options
• Highly susceptible to accidental deletions and data corruption
• Increased risk if source data is compromised
• Can be resource-intensive for systems with large volumes of data

How do mirror backups compare to other types of backups?

Now that you know about mirror backups, let’s see how they stack up against other backup methods. Some backups are often mistaken for each other. For example, incremental and differential backups are often compared. But, each type of backup offers different features and benefits, catering to specific needs and situations. You can decide which one works best for your site by understanding their unique strengths and weaknesses. 

Best backup strategy for your website

Choosing the best site backup strategy means balancing efficiency, reliability, and wise use of resources. For this reason, we suggest a combination of incremental and full backups. BlogVault makes this approach simple and effective. 

Here are some standout features that make this plugin perfect for your backup needs:

• Automatic backups: BlogVault automatically backs up your data at least once daily, with the option to set your schedule for frequent full backups.
• Free and incremental backups: It provides free backups and uses incremental backups to store only new changes, saving space effectively.
• Stored on an offsite server: Backups are kept on a separate server, ensuring data safety even if your site faces issues.
• One-click restores: Restoring your backup is incredibly easy with just a single click.
• Test backups: The ability to test backups allows you to verify they work correctly without risking your live site.

Final thoughts

While mirror backups offer real-time synchronization and consistency for your data, they are not always the best fit for every situation. The lack of historical versioning limits their ability to restore past versions of files. Relying solely on mirror backups could leave you struggling to recover your site after accidental changes or deleted files. 

Instead, combining full and incremental backups provides a more balanced approach to data safety and efficiency. Full backups capture everything, while incremental backups ensure that only new changes are saved, conserving storage space. BlogVault excels at implementing this strategy with its automatic, offsite, and testable backup solutions. This blend of features ensures your data’s safety, giving you peace of mind and minimizing risks associated with data loss or corruption.

FAQs

What is the difference between mirror backup and full backup?

A mirror backup creates an exact, real-time replica of the source data, updating continuously with every change. In contrast, a full backup captures all data at a specific point in time, preserving a complete snapshot of the data as it exists at that moment. Unlike mirror backups, full backups do not overwrite previous versions, allowing for historical data retrieval.

What are the advantages of mirror backup?

Mirror backups offer real-time synchronization, ensuring that your backup is always up-to-date with your current data. They also provide immediate data redundancy, making them useful in environments requiring high availability.

What are the three types of backups?

The three main types of backups are full, incremental, and differential backups. Full backups capture all data at a given time, incremental backups save only the changes made since the last backup, and if you use differential backups archive changes since the last full backup, balancing between full and incremental.

What is the best type of backup to take?

The best type of backup depends on your specific needs. A combination of full and incremental backups is often recommended for a balanced approach. Full backups provide comprehensive coverage, while incremental backups save space by storing only new changes. Using tools like BlogVault makes implementing these strategies efficient and effective.