Skip to main content

Cloud server network volume snapshots

A snapshot is an instant image of a network volume's state, a copy of its file system.

You can use a snapshot to capture the state of a disk without interrupting its operation, in order to:

Access to snapshots is regulated by a role model. For details, see the Manage access to cloud server network volumes and snapshots instructions.

How it works

The size of a snapshot can exceed the actual volume of data and files on the disk. The snapshot size includes file system blocks and "dirty data" that appears when files are overwritten or deleted.

Snapshots can only be created for network volumes. You can create no more than five snapshots for each volume.

A snapshot is not a backup of a cloud server network volume — it is stored on the same hardware, requires the main storage to be available to perform any operation, and is deleted along with the volume. If you need to capture the volume state and store it for a long time, instead of a snapshot, create a backup or create a volume image. If you want to configure automatic backup of a network volume, set up scheduled backup creation.

You cannot download a snapshot, but you can create a volume image and download the image.

You can view alternative ways to create backups for cloud servers in the Backup methods table.

Pricing

Snapshots are paid for according to the Cloud Platform payment model.

Each GB of snapshots with the AVAILABLE or RESTORING status is charged. Snapshots in other statuses are not charged.

The snapshot cost is equal to the cost of the network volume from which it was created, and depends on the volume type. The storage cost of a created snapshot does not change when resizing the volume.

note

For example, you have a network volume of the Base HDD type with a size of 5 GB, and the snapshot size is 1 GB.

The cost of a 5 GB disk per hour is 0.05 ₽. For a snapshot, you pay the same as for the original disk size (5 GB) — 0.05 ₽ per hour.

If you increase the disk size, for example to 7 GB, the snapshot will continue to be billed as before.


Every disk snapshot is billed, even if there are multiple snapshots.

note

For example, you have a 5 GB network volume. The cost of a 5 GB disk per hour is 0.05 ₽. You created three snapshots; each costs 0.05 ₽ per hour, regardless of the size of the data on the disk. For three snapshots, you pay 0.15 ₽ per hour.


You can view the actual snapshot size in the Control panel: in the top menu, click Products → Cloud Servers → Volumes section → volume page → Snapshots tab. You can also view the total size of billed snapshots in the Control panel: in the top menu, click Products → Cloud Servers → Platform consumption section → Current cost tab.

You can find the cost per GB of snapshots on selectel.ru.

Create a snapshot

You can create no more than five snapshots for each volume. To increase the limit, submit a ticket.

You can create a snapshot for network volumes in AVAILABLE and IN-USE statuses. When creating a snapshot, the name is assigned automatically in the format snap-creationdate_creationtime, for example, snap-14.05.21_14.43

  1. In the Control panel, from the top menu, click Products and select Cloud Servers.
  2. Go to the Volumes section.
  3. Open the volume page → the Snapshots tab.
  4. Click Create snapshot.

Restore data from a snapshot

You can create a new network volume from a snapshot. The disk will be a copy of the state that was on the original disk at the moment the snapshot was created.

  1. In the Control panel, from the top menu, click Products and select Cloud Servers.
  2. Go to the Volumes section.
  3. Open the volume page → the Snapshots tab.
  4. In the snapshot menu, select Create volume from snapshot.
  5. Optional: replace the boot volume of the cloud server with the restored one or attach the restored volume to the server as an additional one.

Snapshot statuses

  1. In the Control panel, from the top menu, click Products and select Cloud Servers.

  2. Go to the Volumes section.

  3. Open the volume page → the Snapshots tab.

  4. Check the status in the snapshot row → the Status column.

    CREATINGThe snapshot is being created
    AVAILABLEThe snapshot has been successfully created; you can restore data from it. Snapshots in this status are billable
    RESTORINGSnapshot data is being restored to the disk. Snapshots in this status are billable
    ERRORAn error occurred during snapshot creation
    ERROR-DELETINGAn error occurred during snapshot deletion
    DELETINGThe snapshot is being deleted
    DELETEDThe snapshot has been deleted

Delete a snapshot

You can delete a snapshot when deleting a volume or separately.

  1. In the Control panel, from the top menu, click Products and select Cloud Servers.
  2. Go to the Volumes section.
  3. Open the volume page → the Snapshots tab.
  4. In the snapshot menu, select Delete.