Applies to: VisualSVN Server 3.6 and later
VisualSVN Server supports the following backup types:
- Full backup
Scheduled full backup always captures the state of the entire repository into a single backup file. Restoring a repository from the full backup is very simple because it requires only one backup file. However, the full backup takes more time and storage space than incremental backups. - Incremental backup
Scheduled incremental backup captures only the changes made in the repository since the last backup. Incremental backup job makes a backup chain that consists of first full backup file and daily incremental backup files.
The jobs save the repository backup in files with *.vsvnbak extension. The backup files correspond to the restore points of backed up repositories. By default, the backup file name specifies the type of the backup used and the date when the backup was made:
-
Full backup filename format
MyRepository-2017-03-04-010035-full.vsvnbak
Full backup of the repository named MyRepository taken on March 04, 2017 at 01:00:35. -
Incremental backup filename format
MyRepository-2017-03-10-180025-incremental.vsvnbak
Incremental backup of the repository named MyRepository taken on March 10, 2017 at 18:00:25.
How incremental backup jobs work
Incremental backups are made by the scheduled backup jobs. When a new incremental backup job runs for the first time it makes a full backup. The job will make incremental backups the next time it runs on a schedule. The generated incremental backup takes much less time to make and less storage space because it captures only the changes made in the Subversion repository since the last backup.
A complete chain of backup files is required to restore a repository from backup. The most recent full backup file and the incremental backup files made on the next days must be present to restore the repository. Incremental backup jobs make a full backup once in a week in order to ensure that the chain of backup files is reasonably short.