A backup is a copy of one or more dbspaces (also called storage spaces) and logical logs that
the database server maintains. You can also back up blobspaces and sbspaces.
The backup copy is typically written to a secondary storage medium such as disk or magnetic tape. Store the media offline and
keep a copy off site if possible.
Important: Database backups do not replace ordinary operating-system
backups, which back up files other than Informix® database files.
The following figure illustrates the basic concept of a database
backup. Figure 1. A backup
of database server data
You do not always have to back up all the storage spaces. If some
tables change daily but others rarely change, it is inefficient to
back up the storage spaces that contain the unchanged tables every
time that you back up the database server. You need to plan your backup
schedule carefully to avoid long delays for backing up or restoring
data.
