Inbackups

Inbackups is a term used in data protection to describe backups performed from within the source application or data store, rather than by external agents operating at the storage or hypervisor level. The idea emphasizes application-consistent snapshots and recoverability that reflects the state of the application at backup time. Inbackups are often described as application-aware or in-application backups, and are commonly implemented in databases, content management systems, and other data-intensive services that expose backup interfaces or APIs. They may be implemented by the application's own backup utilities, by agents integrated into the application, or by services that leverage built-in snapshot capabilities while coordinating with the application to flush or pause activity to achieve consistency.

Common characteristics include aiming for application-level consistency (as opposed to crash-consistency), support for incremental or differential backups, and the ability to enable point-in-time recovery. They may coexist with storage-level or external backups, providing defense in depth.

Advantages include better recoverability for application data, reduced risk of inconsistent states, and more granular recovery options. Potential drawbacks include additional resource overhead on the application, complexity of configuration, and the need for close integration with the application and its data models.

Inbackups are part of broader backup strategies that include administrative policies, disaster recovery planning, and testing. See also application-aware backups, database backups, and snapshot-based backup.