Instance snapshots
How to create, restore, schedule, and delete instance snapshots, and how to turn a snapshot into an image or a new instance.
A snapshot captures an instance at a point in time so you can roll back later or clone from it. Snapshots live on the instance's Snapshots tab. All snapshot management requires the snapshot-management permission on the instance, and project policy can disable snapshots entirely (the create button is then disabled with an explanation).
Create a snapshot
- Open the instance and go to the Snapshots tab.
- Click Create snapshot.
- Optionally set a Name — letters, digits, and
-,_,.,:are allowed, and the name must be unique for this instance. Leave it empty to use the instance's snapshot name pattern. - Optionally set an Expiry date and time (must be in the future) after which the snapshot is deleted automatically.
- For VMs, optionally check
Statefulto also capture the runtime state (memory). This requires the instance to havemigration.statefulenabled in its Migration configuration and to beRunning. - Click Create snapshot.
Restore a snapshot
In the snapshot's row, click Restore and confirm. Restoring rolls the instance back to the snapshot; this cannot be undone and can result in data loss. For stateful snapshots, a Restore the instance state checkbox also restores the captured runtime state.
Create an image or a new instance from a snapshot
Each snapshot's actions menu also offers:
- Create image — publish the snapshot as a reusable image in your project. See Manage images.
- Create instance — clone a new instance from the snapshot. Choose a name (defaults to
<instance>-<snapshot>-copy), target location, storage pool, and project. For stateful snapshots you can copy the state as well; a stateful copy must keep the same instance name and target a different project.
Schedule automatic snapshots
Click See configuration on the Snapshots tab (or use the Snapshots section of the Configuration tab) to set:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
Snapshot name pattern | Template for auto-generated snapshot names. |
Expire after | Expiry expression applied to new snapshots (for example 7d). |
Snapshot stopped instances | Whether the schedule also snapshots instances that are not running. |
Schedule | When to take snapshots: cron syntax (<minute> <hour> <day-of-month> <month> <day-of-week>, or shorthands such as @hourly, @daily, @weekly, @monthly, @yearly), or pick a preset interval from every minute up to yearly. |
Edit and delete snapshots
- Edit — rename a snapshot or change its expiry.
- Delete — per snapshot, with the snapshot name typed to confirm.
- Bulk delete — select multiple snapshots with the row checkboxes and delete them together.
The instance list shows a snapshot count per instance, so you can spot instances accumulating snapshots.
Restrictions
If your project is configured to block snapshots, snapshot creation is disabled and the configuration form shows a warning. Project restrictions are managed by your administrator — see Manage projects.