Which backup type stores data offline and may require full restoration?

• A. Incremental backup.
• B. Warm backup.
• C. Hot backup.
• D. Cold backup.

Answer: (D)

Storing backups offline and restoring from scratch is the hallmark of a cold backup. The data is kept disconnected from the production environment, often on offline media, so it isn’t part of the live system’s ongoing operations. Because it’s not continuously synchronized with the current state, recovery typically means bringing the entire dataset back from that offline copy, which is effectively a full restoration to a known good point in time.

In contrast, incremental backups capture only changes since the last backup, so restoration involves reassembling the full dataset by applying the base backup plus subsequent increments—this is not inherently offline. A warm backup is kept in a standby state that’s ready but not fully active, requiring some steps to switch over, while a hot backup remains online and available for immediate failover. Neither implies offline storage aimed at a full restore from scratch.