{"id":31729,"date":"2026-10-07T11:53:33","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T09:53:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mu.wedoback.com\/?page_id=31729"},"modified":"2026-10-07T12:22:53","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T10:22:53","slug":"backup-vs-replication","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mu.wedoback.com\/en\/guides\/backup\/backup-vs-replication\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the difference between backup and replication?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"31729\" class=\"elementor elementor-31729 elementor-31545\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8a7bd72 e-con-full wdb-g e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"8a7bd72\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-01e3f55 e-con-full wdb-g-hero e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"01e3f55\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9ceb6f3 e-con-full wdb-g-hero-in e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"9ceb6f3\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c14a30e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c14a30e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wdb-g-crumb\"><a href=\"\/en\/\">Home<\/a><span>\u203a<\/span><a href=\"\/en\/guides\/\">Guides<\/a><span>\u203a<\/span><a href=\"\/en\/guides\/backup\/\">IT backup<\/a><\/p><p class=\"wdb-g-pill\" style=\"--pill:#01adb9\">IT backup<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-26531fb elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"26531fb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">What is the difference between backup and replication?<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3904945 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3904945\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wdb-g-lead\">Replication maintains a copy close to the current state, so you can resume quickly after a failure. A backup keeps earlier states, so you can go back to before an error or an attack. The two complement each other: one does not replace the other.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-093e370 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"093e370\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wdb-g-meta\"><span>Updated <b>October 2026<\/b><\/span><span><b>3 min<\/b> read<\/span><span><b>5<\/b> sources cited<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-08e897a e-con-full wdb-g-body e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"08e897a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-588795d e-con-full wdb-g-grid e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"588795d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5f3bc4a e-con-full wdb-g-article e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5f3bc4a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-59938a0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"59938a0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wdb-g-key\"><h2>Key points<\/h2><ul><li>Replication is an <strong>availability<\/strong> tool: it also copies deletions, corruption and encryption.<\/li><li>A backup is a <strong>rollback<\/strong> tool: it keeps several dates, at the cost of a slight delay (the RPO).<\/li><li>The ANSSI, France\u2019s national cybersecurity agency, points to replication when you cannot lose more than a few hours, and to backup to return to a healthy state.<\/li><li>Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace recycle bins are short-term safety nets within the same tenant, not a backup.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-61b96f5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"61b96f5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Replication follows the original<\/h2><p>A database replica, a virtual machine mirror or a file synchronisation sends changes to a second location, often within seconds. If the main server fails, you can switch to the second one and lose few transactions. It is an availability tool. The NIST contingency planning guide (SP 800-34) in fact reserves mirrored systems and disk replication for high-impact systems, combined with a standby site that is already running.<\/p><p>The replica also receives what should not be kept: a deleted file, a corrupted database, a document encrypted by ransomware. Depending on the mode (synchronous, asynchronous, with or without delay), the healthy copy disappears at the same time as the original, or a few minutes later.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-50dae03 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"50dae03\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>A backup keeps the past<\/h2><p>A 2 pm backup, a 6 pm backup and one from the previous evening remain available. If the attack started at 4 pm, you restore the 2 pm backup. You lose the afternoon\u2019s work. You recover a usable system. This deliberate gap is the <a href=\"\/en\/guides\/drp-bcp\/what-is-an-rpo\/\">RPO<\/a>.<\/p><p>A backup is generally less \u201cfresh\u201d than replication. It is the only one of the two that allows you to roll back. The ANSSI backup guide says so in its own way: it excludes from its scope requirements for data loss of less than 24 hours, for which it recommends synchronous or asynchronous replication.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-871721c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"871721c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Comparison<\/h2><table><thead><tr><th><\/th><th>Replication<\/th><th>Backup<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Purpose<\/td><td>Resume quickly after a failure<\/td><td>Return to an earlier healthy state<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Freshness of the copy<\/td><td>Seconds to minutes<\/td><td>Hours (depending on frequency)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>History<\/td><td>None or very short<\/td><td>Several days, weeks or months<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Deletion, corruption, ransomware<\/td><td>Copied to the replica<\/td><td>Earlier versions intact<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Outright hardware failure<\/td><td>Fast failover<\/td><td>Restore, which takes longer<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-71d6226 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"71d6226\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>How to combine them<\/h2><table><thead><tr><th>Need<\/th><th>Suitable tool<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Resume within minutes after a hardware failure<\/td><td>Replication or BCP, with a second system already in place<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Return to before a deletion or an attack<\/td><td>Backup with history, ideally a copy the attacker cannot modify<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Both<\/td><td>Replication for outright failures, immutable backup for errors and ransomware<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><p>A company that does not replicate and backs up every night accepts redoing up to 24 hours of work, and waiting for the restore. A company that only replicates may restart quickly and discover that the replica is already encrypted.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-25cc370 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"25cc370\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>The case of the cloud<\/h2><p>A hosting provider\u2019s geo-replication protects against a data centre fire. It copies the state of the volume, including a volume already encrypted by the attacker. It is not a backup history.<\/p><p>The Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace recycle bins are short-term safety nets, inside the same administrator account. In Exchange Online, a deleted item remains recoverable for 14 days by default, 30 days at most. In Gmail, an administrator has 25 additional days after the 30-day trash period; after that, neither the administrator nor Google can restore the message. These mechanisms are neither replication to a third party nor a backup outside the tenant. See <a href=\"\/en\/guides\/cloud-email\/does-microsoft-365-include-backup\/\">Does Microsoft 365 really include a backup?<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8faf0c0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8faf0c0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wdb-g-brand\"><h2>At WeDoBack<\/h2><p>WeDoBack backup keeps versions, at the frequency chosen by the client. The <a href=\"\/en\/bcp-offer\/\">BCP<\/a> is different: cloud instances run continuously and take over if a server goes down, without any change of IP address, which comes close to service continuity. Data replication or synchronisation between the BCP instance and the original server is not built in: it relies on a specific process, tailored to the need, which WeDoBack can set up on <a href=\"\/en\/quotation\/\">quotation<\/a>. The <a href=\"\/en\/drp-offer\/\">DRP<\/a> restarts servers on standby instances from a chosen backup version. In both cases, the backup history remains the way to return to a state before the incident.<\/p><div class=\"wdb-g-btns\"><a class=\"wdb-g-btn wdb-g-btn-primary\" href=\"\/en\/bcp-offer\/\">Discover the BCP<\/a><a class=\"wdb-g-btn wdb-g-btn-ghost\" href=\"\/en\/drp-offer\/\">Discover the DRP<\/a><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f66fd3a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f66fd3a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wdb-g-faq\"><h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2><details><summary>If I replicate my server to a second site, do I still need a backup?<\/summary><p>Yes. The second site protects you from a hardware failure or a disaster at the first. It does not protect you from a deleted file, a corrupted database or ransomware: the replica receives these changes like any others. Only a backup history lets you go back to before the incident.<\/p><\/details><details><summary>Is a OneDrive or Dropbox synchronisation a backup?<\/summary><p>No. Synchronisation copies the current state in both directions: a file erased or encrypted on the computer is erased or encrypted in the cloud too. The service\u2019s versions and recycle bin help with an isolated error, for a limited period, but they remain under the same accounts as production.<\/p><\/details><details><summary>Does delayed replication protect against ransomware?<\/summary><p>Only if the attack is detected before the delay runs out, often a few minutes or a few hours. Yet an intrusion usually remains undetected for several days. A replication delay does not replace several weeks of history.<\/p><\/details><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6c8fb29 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6c8fb29\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Further reading<\/h2><div class=\"wdb-g-related\"><a href=\"\/en\/guides\/backup\/what-is-a-backup\/\"><small>IT backup<\/small>What is an IT backup?<\/a><a href=\"\/en\/guides\/drp-bcp\/difference-between-drp-and-bcp\/\"><small>DRP and BCP<\/small>What is the difference between a DRP and a BCP?<\/a><a href=\"\/en\/guides\/backup\/protect-backups-from-ransomware\/\"><small>IT backup<\/small>How do you protect your backups against ransomware?<\/a><a href=\"\/en\/guides\/backup\/what-is-an-immutable-backup\/\"><small>IT backup<\/small>What is an immutable backup?<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-46a55e1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"46a55e1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wdb-g-sources\"><h2>Sources<\/h2><p class=\"wdb-g-src-date\">Documents consulted in October 2026.<\/p><ol><li><a href=\"https:\/\/messervices.cyber.gouv.fr\/documents-guides\/anssi_fondamentaux_sauvegarde_systemes_dinformation_v1.1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Backing up information systems \u2013 The fundamentals (ANSSI-BP-100, v1.1, 27 November 2025)<\/a> \u2014 ANSSI (France\u2019s national cybersecurity agency)<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/nvlpubs.nist.gov\/nistpubs\/legacy\/sp\/nistspecialpublication800-34r1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SP 800-34 Rev. 1, Contingency Planning Guide for Federal Information Systems<\/a> \u2014 NIST<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/exchange\/security-and-compliance\/recoverable-items-folder\/recoverable-items-folder\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Recoverable Items folder in Exchange Online<\/a> \u2014 Microsoft Learn<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/knowledge.workspace.google.com\/admin\/support\/troubleshooting\/restore-a-users-permanently-deleted-email\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Restore a user\u2019s permanently deleted email<\/a> \u2014 Google Workspace Admin Help<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wedoback.com\/offre-pca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BCP offer (Business Continuity Plan)<\/a> \u2014 WeDoBack<\/li><\/ol><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-faa2f7b e-con-full wdb-g-aside e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"faa2f7b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-adb729d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"adb729d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<nav class=\"wdb-g-toc\" aria-label=\"Table of contents\"><p>On this page<\/p><ol><\/ol><\/nav>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f9ed656 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f9ed656\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wdb-g-card\"><h3>Planning a backup, DRP or BCP project?<\/h3><p>More than 20 years of experience protecting business data.<\/p><a class=\"wdb-g-btn wdb-g-btn-primary\" href=\"\/en\/quotation\/\">Request a quote<\/a><a class=\"wdb-g-tel\" href=\"tel:+33972507828\">+33 9 72 50 78 28<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4c61719 e-con-full wdb-g-cta e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4c61719\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-28c8eaa e-con-full wdb-g-cta-in e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"28c8eaa\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b82c7f9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b82c7f9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Protect your data with WeDoBack<\/h2><p>Encrypted offsite backup, immutable storage, DRP and BCP: tell us about your servers and we will recommend the right combination.<\/p><div class=\"wdb-g-btns\"><a class=\"wdb-g-btn wdb-g-btn-primary\" href=\"\/en\/quotation\/\">Request a quote<\/a><a class=\"wdb-g-btn wdb-g-btn-ghost\" href=\"\/en\/offers-and-prices\/\">See offers and prices<\/a><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":31721,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"Backup vs replication: what is the difference? | WeDoBack","_seopress_titles_desc":"Replication copies the current state, errors included. 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