Backups limit the amount of data lost in the event of a storage failure, corruption, or other event. They should be scheduled to happen on a regular basis. Backups are not replaced by data replication due to the possibility of replicating corrupt data before it is discovered.
Regular backups limit the amount of data lost in the event of a failure or corruption to the data acquired since the last backup was complete. All data has a value depending on the nature of the data and the reproducibility of the information. Loss of information may represent a great loss to the organization, depending on the amount and value of data that has not been backed up.
It is generally expected that backups run on a scheduled basis, usually daily. These backups should include all data that is not transitory in nature, meaning temporary files do not need to be backed up. The operating systems may be excluded if the final configuration is the result of a standard image or Infrastructure as Code (IaC) where the base machine can be recreated quickly and efficiently.