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Snapshots
A snapshot is a point-in-time image of a pod, taken on the pod's own storage and restored in place. It captures the whole pod - files, databases, config, all of it. Snapshots are the fastest way to save a known-good state before a risky change and roll back if it goes wrong.
The key word is in place: restoring a snapshot rewinds this pod. If you want a copy that comes back as a separate new pod, that's a backup, not a snapshot.
Slots and limits
Each pod has 5 snapshot slots:
- 4 for manual snapshots you take yourself.
- 1 reserved for the auto schedule (if you turn it on).
Take a fifth manual snapshot and the request is refused: Snapshot limit reached. Maximum 4 manual snapshots per pod (1 slot reserved for automatic snapshots). Delete one and try again. The auto slot manages itself.
Taking one
Taking a snapshot is queued, not instant. The snapshot appears immediately as pending and flips to completed when the image has been written, or failed with the reason if it could not be. Only a completed snapshot can be restored.
Auto schedule
A pod can take snapshots on a schedule, all at 3:00 AM UTC:
| Schedule | When |
|---|---|
| Daily | Every day. |
| Weekly | Every Sunday. |
| Monthly | The 1st of the month. |
| Disabled | No automatic snapshots. |
Automatic snapshots rotate among themselves, and how many are kept depends on how much of the pod's allowance your manual ones are using. Keep four manual snapshots and there is room for one automatic one, so each run replaces the last. Keep none and the automatic ones fill the pod's five slots, giving you five days of dailies before the oldest rotates out. Your manual snapshots are never rotated by the schedule.
Restoring
Restoring rolls the pod back to the snapshot's state, in place. Two conditions:
- The pod must be Running or Stopped. You don't have to stop it first - the restore takes care of that and the pod shows
Restoringwhile it works. - The snapshot must be completed.
When the restore finishes, the pod stays stopped - start it again when you're ready.
Restoring is destructive
Everything written after the snapshot was taken is lost. If you might want the current state too, take a fresh manual snapshot before you restore.
Snapshot vs backup
Same idea, different blast radius: a snapshot restores in place, a backup restores as a new pod. The full comparison is in Snapshots vs backups. Snapshots cost nothing to keep, and stay free. Backups are free until paid backups start, and from then they are billed by size.