What is the main advantage of a differential backup over a full backup?

The primary advantage of a differential backup over a full backup is that it is quicker to create and requires less storage space. A full backup involves copying all data in its entirety, which can be time-consuming and demands significant storage resources. In contrast, a differential backup only captures the changes made since the last full backup. This means that as time progresses, each differential backup will increase in size because it includes all changes made since the last full backup. However, creating these backups is usually faster than doing a full backup because less data is processed at any given time.

Additionally, while a differential backup does not eliminate the need for a full backup, it does facilitate quicker recovery times in the event of data loss because only the last full backup and the most recent differential backup are needed for restoration. This contrasts with incremental backups, which would require the last full backup along with all subsequent incremental backups for recovery, adding complexity.

In summary, the quick creation time and reduced storage requirements for differential backups are their major advantages compared to full backups.