Optimal Backup Interval for a Database System with Full and Periodic Incremental Backup

This paper considers the following backup scheme for a database system: a database is updated at a nonhomogeneous Poisson process and an amount of updated files accumulates additively. To ensure the safety of data, full backup are performed at time NT=L or when the database fails, whichever occurs first, and between them, incremental backups are made at periodic times iT (i=1, 2, ..., N-1) so as to make the backup efficiently. Using the theory of cumulative processes, the expected cost is obtained, and optimal numbers N* of incremental backup which minimizes it are analytically discussed when incremental backup interval T or full backup interval L is given. Finally, it is shown as examples that optimal numbers are numerically computed.