Skip to navigation
Tools

VM snapshots

A snapshot is an on-demand recovery point captured from a running Cloud VM. Each snapshot includes the root disk and, optionally, attached data volumes. Snapshots are kept as a Recovery Point that you can restore in place, use to create a new VM, or roll back disk-by-disk.

Snapshots and automated backups share the same restore flow. Use snapshots when you want a recovery point at a specific moment — before a deploy, OS upgrade, or risky migration. Use backups for continuous, schedule-driven protection.

What’s captured

Every snapshot captures the root disk by default. You choose how much else to include via Capture Mode:

Capture ModeCaptures
Root volume onlyJust the boot disk. Attached data volumes are skipped.
All attached volumesRoot disk plus every attached persistent data volume.
Selective volumesRoot is always included; pick specific data volumes to add.

Restoring a snapshot set automatically reattaches captured data volumes to the target VM. Mount instructions for each data volume are surfaced in the Details drawer.

Restore options

When you click Restore on a snapshot recovery point, the same three modes are offered as backup restore:

ModeEffect
Replace Current VMRoll back the existing VM’s root disk and captured data disks in place.
Create New VMProvision a brand-new VM from the recovery point with new live block volumes.
Restore Selected DiskRoll back a single captured disk on the current VM.

See Restore a snapshot for full steps.

When to take a snapshot

  • Before a deploy or migration you might need to roll back.
  • Before an OS upgrade or kernel change.
  • To clone a known-good build into a new VM via the Create New VM restore mode.
  • As a manual checkpoint between scheduled backup runs.

For routine, ongoing protection, prefer scheduled automated backups.

How often can I take a snapshot?

As often as you need — snapshots are taken on demand, at any time. There is no snapshot schedule: take one from the portal, with ibee vms snapshots create, or with the API. Snapshots are kept until you delete them.

For an automatic daily copy, turn on automated backups instead. Backups run on a Daily or Weekly schedule and keep 7 days of recovery points.

Where to manage snapshots

Two surfaces in the IBEE Solutions portal manage snapshots:

SurfaceUse it for
Cloud VMs → <VM> → Snapshots tabRich per-VM flow: pick a Capture Mode (Root only / All attached / Selective), browse Recovery Points, and restore in three modes (Replace · Create New VM · Restore Selected Disk).
Tools → SnapshotsWorkspace-wide catalog of recovery points and point-in-time copies across your VMs, with a Take Snapshot button.

The Tools page is the aggregate view. A search box filters by snapshot, VM, volume, or ID, and the list is paginated. Each row shows:

ColumnDescription
SnapshotSnapshot name and a short identifier (with a copy button).
DisksWhat was captured (for example Root volume · 1 disk).
StorageSnapshot footprint.
StatusAvailable once the snapshot is ready; in-progress states such as Creating or Pending while it’s being taken.
CreatedDate and time.
ActionRow menu with Manage snapshot, which opens the snapshot’s details.

Manage snapshot shows the snapshot’s name, type (recovery point or volume snapshot), snapshot ID, source VM, source volume, disks, capture mode, storage, status, created/updated times, and description — plus Delete Snapshot. Restores are started from the VM’s Snapshots tab.

Take Snapshot on the Tools page opens a dialog with:

  • Virtual Machine — pick a VM.
  • Snapshot Name — required.
  • Description — optional note for this restore point.
  • Capture Mode — Root volume only, All attached volumes, or Selective volumes (tick the data volumes to include). If the VM has no attached data volumes, the snapshot is root-only.
  • A reminder to run sync inside the VM to flush pending writes before taking the snapshot.

Both surfaces offer the same capture modes. Use the per-VM Snapshots tab when you also want to browse recovery points and restore.

Quick start

  1. Open the VM detail page → Snapshots tab.
  2. Enter a Label (required) and an optional Description.
  3. Pick a Capture Mode — Root only, All attached, or Selective.
  4. (Selective only) Tick the data volumes to include.
  5. Click Create Snapshot. The recovery point appears in the Recovery Points list when complete.

See Create a snapshot for the full flow.

Recovery point list

Each row shows:

  • Snapshot — your label and the system-generated identifier (for example srp-20260509T162709Z).
  • Disks — what’s captured (Root + 1 data disk, 2 disk(s), …).
  • Created — date and time.
  • Storage — total recovery footprint.
  • Actions — Details, Restore, Delete.

Snapshots vs. backups

SnapshotsBackups
CadenceOn demandDaily or Weekly schedule
TriggerManual clickAutomatic
Capture modeRoot only · All attached · SelectiveAll attached (root + all data volumes)
Restore modesReplace · Create New VM · Restore Selected DiskSame
Best forPre-deploy checkpoints, ad-hoc rollback, cloningContinuous protection, DR

Most production VMs use both: scheduled backups as the safety net, manual snapshots before risky changes.

Use the API

Per-VM snapshots are in the public API (GPU VMs use /compute/gpu-vms/{vm_id}/snapshots and /compute/gpu-vm-snapshots/...):

TaskOperation
Create a snapshotPOST /compute/cloud-vms/{vm_id}/snapshots
List a VM’s snapshotsGET /compute/cloud-vms/{vm_id}/snapshots
Get or delete a snapshotGET / DELETE /compute/cloud-vm-snapshots/{snapshot_set_id}
RestorePOST /compute/cloud-vm-snapshots/{snapshot_set_id}/actions/restore

Create requires a billing_catalog with the snapshot storage SKU; no public operation lists that SKU yet. The workspace-wide list on Tools → Snapshots is portal-only.