Skip to main content

Snapshots

⏱️ Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

What are Snapshots?​

Snapshots are point-in-time images of your virtual machines or block storage volumes. They capture the full state of your instance or volume, including files, applications, and system configurations.

Snapshots provide a fast and flexible recovery mechanism and are especially useful when:

  • Testing new updates or configurations
  • Performing system upgrades
  • Protecting against unexpected issues

Unlike scheduled backups, snapshots are created manually, giving you on-demand restore points before making critical changes.

Snapshot Types in Webberstop Cloud Portal​

The Webberstop Cloud Portal supports two types of snapshots:

  • Instance Snapshots – Capture the state of an entire virtual machine (VM)
  • Block Storage Snapshots – Capture the state of an attached storage volume

Creating an Instance Snapshot​

To create a snapshot of a virtual machine:

  1. Navigate to Snapshots > Instance Snapshots from the portal menu.

  2. Click the ➕ plus icon at the top right to open the snapshot creation wizard.

  3. Provide the following details:

    • Project: Select the project under which the snapshot will be created.
    • Datacenter Location: Choose the zone where the snapshot will reside.
    • Instance: Select the VM to snapshot.
    • Snapshot Name: Enter a descriptive name for the snapshot.
    • Billing Cycle: Choose Hourly, Monthly, or Yearly.

  4. Click Review & Create Snapshot to confirm.

Managing Instance Snapshots​

Once created, you can manage your VM snapshots from the Instance Snapshots tab:

  • View existing snapshots
  • Revert a VM to a previous state
  • Delete snapshots that are no longer needed

Snapshots allow you to restore the exact system state within minutes in case of issues.

Creating a Block Storage Snapshot​

To create a snapshot of a block storage volume:

  1. Navigate to Snapshots > Block Storage Snapshots.

  2. Click the ➕ plus icon to open the creation form.

  3. Fill in the required details:

    • Project: Choose the associated project.
    • Datacenter Location: Select the region where the snapshot will be stored.
    • Volume: Pick the volume to snapshot.
    • Snapshot Name: Name the snapshot for easy identification.
    • Billing Cycle: Choose your preferred billing model.

  4. Click Review & Create Snapshot to finalize.

Managing Block Storage Snapshots​

Manage your volume snapshots from the Block Storage Snapshots tab:

  • View available snapshots
  • Revert a volume to its saved state
  • Delete unused snapshots to free up resources

Best Practices​

  • Always take snapshots before applying updates or major configuration changes.
  • Regularly clean up unused snapshots to optimize storage and cost.
  • Use consistent naming conventions for easy identification across projects.
tip

Snapshots are independent of your running instance. Deleting a VM will not automatically remove its snapshots—be sure to manage them as part of your lifecycle planning.