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Cloud server disk snapshots
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Cloud server disk snapshots

A snapshot is a snapshot of the state of a network disk, a copy of its file system.

With a snapshot, you can fix the state of the disk without disturbing it so that:

  • clone a disk — to do this, you can create a new disk from a snapshot or restore data to a new disk. You can restore to a disk immediately after creating a snapshot;
  • clone cloud server — create a new cloud server from a snapshot;
  • change disk type — save the disk state with a snapshot and create the same disk but with a different type.

Principle of operation⁠

The size of the snapshot may exceed the actual amount 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 disks. A maximum of five snapshots can be created for each disk.

A snapshot is not a backup of a cloud server network disk — it is stored on the same hardware, requires the primary storage to be available for any operation, and is deleted with the disk. If you need to commit the state of the disk and keep it for a long time, create a backup or create a disk image instead of a snapshot. If you want to configure automatic backup of a network disk, configure scheduled backups.

You can't download a snapshot, but you can create a disk image and download the image.

To see alternative ways to back up cloud servers, see the Backup Methods table.

Cost⁠

Snapshots are paid using the cloud platform payment model.

Each GB of snapshots with AVAILABLE or RESTORING statuses is paid. Snapshots with other statuses are not paid.

The cost of a snapshot is equal to the cost of the network disk from which it is created and depends on the disk type. The cost of storing a created snapshot does not change when the disk size changes.

note

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

A 5 GB disk costs 0.05 ₽ per hour. You pay the same price for a snapshot as for the original disk size (5 GB) — 0.05 ₽ per hour.

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


Each disk snapshot is paid for, even if there are multiple snapshots.

note

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


The actual snapshot size can be viewed in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products → Cloud Servers → Disks section → Disk page → Snapshots tab . The total amount of snapshots that are paid for can be viewed in Cloud Platform → Platform Consumption → Current Cost tab.

The cost of one GB of snapshots can be viewed at selectel.ru.

Create a snapshot⁠

A maximum of five snapshots can be created for each disk. To increase the limit, create a ticket.

A snapshot can be created for network disks in AVAILABLE and IN-USE status. When creating a snapshot, the name is automatically set as snap-date-created_time-created, for example snap-14.05.21_14.43

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

Recover data from a snapshot⁠

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

  1. In the Control panel, on the top menu, click Products and select Cloud Servers.
  2. Go to the Disks section.
  3. Open the disk page → Snapshots tab.
  4. From the snapshot ' menu, select Create disk from snapshot.
  5. Optional: replace the boot disk on the cloud server with a recovered disk or connect the recovered disk to the server as an additional disk.

Snapshot statuses⁠

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

  2. Go to the Disks section.

  3. Open the disk page → Snapshots tab.

  4. Look at the status in the snapshot row → Status column.

    CREATINGA snapshot is created
    AVAILABLEThe snapshot has been successfully created and data can be recovered from it. Snapshots in this status are paid for
    RESTORINGSnapshot data is restored to disk. Snapshots in this status are paid for
    ERRORAn error occurred while creating a snapshot
    ERROR-DELETINGAn error occurred when deleting the snapshot
    DELETINGThe snapshot is being deleted
    DELETEDSnapshot deleted

Delete the snapshot⁠

You can delete the snapshot when you delete the disk or separately.

  1. In the Control Panel, go to Cloud Platform → Disks.
  2. Open the disk page → Snapshots tab.
  3. From the menu of the snapshot, select Delete.