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You should use an archive backup if you are backing up directly to tape. Otherwise, an image backup should be used because image backups are easier to restore.

An archive backup copies the database file and the transaction log file into one or more files, typically on a tape drive. You can only perform archive backups as server-side backups.

An image backup makes a copy of the database files and/or the transaction log, each as separate files.


In this section:
    Archive Backups
    An archive backup is a collection of one or more files that together contain all the required information for the backup, including the main database file, the transaction log, and any additional dbspaces.
    Image Backups
    An image backup consists of a copy of the database file and/or the transaction log, each as separate files.