With the release of PostgreSQL 17, the introduction of incremental backups using the trusted pg_basebackup tool marks a significant leap forward in database backup and restoration processes. Traditionally, database backups often involved taking periodic full backups, which, while comprehensive, are time-consuming and storage-intensive. 

Incremental backups offer a smarter alternative by capturing and storing only the changes made since the last backup, dramatically reducing both backup size and the time required to create backups.