What distinguishes an Incremental Backup from a Differential Backup?

An incremental backup is a specific type of data backup that focuses on capturing only the changes made since the last backup—whether that was a full backup or another incremental backup. What distinguishes it from a differential backup is precisely how it treats the archive attribute of files.

When an incremental backup is performed, it will back up only those files that have changed since the last backup operation. Importantly, this operation will also reset the archive attribute of the files that were backed up, which indicates that these files have been processed. By not removing the archive attribute, the backup can identify which files need to be backed up during subsequent backup operations.

In contrast, a differential backup would back up all files that have changed since the last full backup but would not reset the archive attribute. This means that with each differential backup, the scope of files increases until the next full backup is performed.

The assertion that the incremental backup does not remove the archive attribute accurately describes the function and strategy of incremental backups, as it directly impacts how data is managed and how subsequent backups are conducted.