best full time backup option
I wish to back up my "entire" computer every day what option will use least amount of space?
Out of the box, you should use incremental backups, but you will need enough space for about 2.5 full backups, if you set ATI to keep only 1 most recent chain in the auto-cleaning options:
- first full backup,
- some space for the incremental backups (you number of incremental before the next full should be limited. If you last full backup is too old for you to go back to if need be as plan B, you have too many incrementals)
- another full backup before ATI deletes the older backup chain.
Alternatively, you can set up an incremental backup and choose auto-consolidation. This requires a lot of space in addition to the actual backup, maybe slightly less than the scheme above.
Finally normal compression helps you save space, whereas higher leve of compression will be of limited help if many of your files are already compressed (like .JPG, .MP4, .mp3).
High compression gains very little in the way of compression, even without mp3s, jpgs, etc. but adds tremendously to the time. Likewise, low compression is an expensive trade-off-- you gain some in compression processing time but that is largely offset by the increase in file writing time so it yileds a small improvement. The middle value is the best balance and gives you the most bang for the buck is both directions.
If you want to keep a backup of only one slice in time, then a full or a full with a diff might be your best bet. With each subsequent set of chagnes only the changes from the oringal full are recorded, so you'll have only the full and the diff.
The least space, of course is to keep only one full disk backup and overwrite it each time.