Backup and replication are two data integrity and recovery methods that are frequently used interchangeably. However, they are actually quite different. A backup copy of data is just that, a copy. A backup is written to removable media and stored in an offsite location, physically or in the cloud. A replication is also a data copy process. However, replicated data has been copied for the purpose of storing copies of the data on distributed locations within an organization or on a subscribed cloud service.
A backup is generally created on a periodic basis, such as daily, weekly, or over longer periods. Replication is typically done online, in real-time or near-real-time. Restoring a backup can take some time if it must be retrieved from a remote storage facility, downloaded from the cloud, and then restored to a system. Restoring replicated data is immediately...