Question 1

What's the difference between data redundancy and backups?

Accepted Answer

Data redundancy keeps multiple copies available at the same time (often automatically) so your system can keep running if a disk, server, or zone fails. Backups are point-in-time copies kept separately so you can restore data after accidental deletion, corruption, ransomware, or a bad update. Redundancy helps with availability; backups help with recovery and history. Many systems need both.

Question 2

When should I use data redundancy?

Accepted Answer

Use data redundancy when you need high availability and durability—especially for production apps, customer data, and any system where downtime or data loss is costly. It’s most important for databases, object storage, and critical file shares. If you can tolerate downtime and data loss (for example, temporary test environments), you may choose lower redundancy to reduce cost.

Question 3

How much does data redundancy cost?

Accepted Answer

Cost depends on how many copies you keep, where they are stored (same zone vs multi-zone vs multi-region), and how often data is read/written. Higher redundancy usually increases storage cost and may add network/replication charges (especially cross-region). For example, multi-region or geo-redundant options typically cost more than single-zone or single-region options, but they reduce the risk of outages and data loss.

Data Redundancy

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