backup

backup

[′bak‚əp]

(building construction)

That part of a masonry wall behind the exterior facing.

(civil engineering)

Overflow in a drain or piping system, due to stoppage.

(computer science)

Logical or physical facilities to aid the process of restarting a computer system and recovering the information in it following a failure.

The provision of such facilities.

(engineering)

An item under development intended to perform the same general functions that another item also under development performs.

A compressible material used behind a sealant to reduce its depth and to support the sealant against sag or indentation.

(graphic arts)

An image printed on the reverse side of a printed sheet.

The printing of such an image.

(metallurgy)

A support used to balance the upsetting force in the workpieces during flash welding.

(petroleum engineering)

During drilling, the holding of one section of pipe while another is screwed out of it or into it.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

backup

1. That part of a masonry wall behind the exterior facing.

2. A compressible material used behind a sealant to reduce its depth and to support the sealant against sag or indentation.

3. Overflow in a drain or piping system, due to stoppage.

4. A condition where waste water flows back into another fixture or compartment or water line (but does not flow back into the potable water system).

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

backup

(operating system)

("back up" when used as a verb) A spare copy of a file, file system, or other resource for use in the event of failure or loss of the original.

The term commonly refers to a copy of the files on a computer's disks, made periodically and kept on magnetic tape or other removable medium (also called a "dump").

This essential precaution is neglected by most new computer users until the first time they experience a disk crash or accidentally delete the only copy of the file they have been working on for the last six months. Ideally the backup copies should be kept at a different site or in a fire safe since, though your hardware may be insured against fire, the data on it is almost certainly neither insured nor easily replaced.

See also backup software, differential backup, incremental backup, full backup. Compare archive, source code management.

This article is provided by FOLDOC - Free Online Dictionary of Computing (foldoc.org)

backup

(1) A copy of data and software on external storage. "Backup," one word, is the noun; to "back up," two words, is the verb. See backup software, backup types, backup storage, copy data, backup and restore, disaster recovery and LAN-free backup.

(2) Additional hardware resources ready to take over if the main system fails. See fault tolerant.

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