Node Snapshots
Use this page to understand how snapshots fit into node management in MyAccount.
This page is intentionally limited to the node management context. It explains when you create or use a snapshot from a node, what it is for, and which node actions it affects. For the full standalone snapshot workflow, see the dedicated snapshot pages listed in Related resources. For reusable base images of a node, see Node Images.
Where Snapshots Appear
After you create a node, snapshots can appear in two places:
| Place | What you do there |
|---|---|
| Node action menu | Create a snapshot when the node state supports it. |
| Node details page | View the Snapshots tab where snapshot support is available. |
The portal shows or hides these options based on the selected node, node family, node state, operating system, permissions, and system validation.
The flows below assume you have already opened Compute > Nodes and selected the node or node action menu.
Snapshots in Node Management
A snapshot is a point-in-time copy of node storage. Use snapshots when you need a restore point for node disks or attached volumes.
Snapshots are useful when:
- You are about to make a risky application or system change.
- You need a point-in-time recovery option.
- You want to capture the node root disk and selected attached volumes.
- You want scheduled point-in-time copies where supported.
In node management, snapshots can be created from the node action menu or from the Snapshots tab when the node supports snapshots.
Snapshot-list flows below assume you are on the selected node's Snapshots tab.
Snapshot Availability
The Snapshots tab and Create Snapshot action appear only when snapshots are supported for the selected node.
Availability can depend on:
- Node family or series
- Node state
- Whether the node is locked
- Whether the node is part of another protected workflow
- Snapshot service availability
- Attached volume eligibility
For the full image and snapshot availability checklist, see Action Availability.
What a Node Snapshot Can Include
When creating a node snapshot, the portal can let you include:
- The node root disk
- One or more attached volumes, where supported
The exact options shown depend on the selected node and attached resources.
If a snapshot includes attached volumes, avoid running disruptive node actions such as reinstall, reboot, or lock while snapshot creation is in progress.
Create a Snapshot
Use this flow when you want to create an on-demand snapshot from a node:
- Select Snapshot Now.
- In the Create Snapshot dialog, keep the generated snapshot name or enter a new one. The name can contain only letters, digits, underscores, and hyphens.
- If attached volumes are listed, select the volumes you want to include. You can select one volume, multiple volumes, or Select All.
- Review the snapshot price note shown in the dialog.
- Select Create Snapshot.
- Wait for the snapshot to finish. The snapshot list shows the snapshot status while it is being created.
The Snapshot Now action is not available while the node is in a save-image state such as Live saving or Initializing, and it is disabled for Disaster Recovery target nodes.
Snapshot Actions
From the node snapshot list, supported actions can include:
| Action | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Save as Image | Create a saved image from a snapshot where supported. See Node Images. |
| Lock | Prevent snapshot deletion until it is unlocked. |
| Unlock | Allow snapshot deletion again. |
| Delete | Remove a snapshot that is no longer needed. |
Scheduled Snapshots
Where supported, you can schedule snapshots for a node and selected attached volumes.
Scheduled snapshots are useful for recurring restore points. The schedule can include frequency and time-window settings shown by the portal.
Locking a node can affect scheduled node and volume snapshot actions. Review scheduled snapshots after locking or unlocking a node.
Snapshots vs Saved Images
| Use case | Use snapshot | Use saved image |
|---|---|---|
| Capture a point-in-time restore point | Yes | No |
| Protect data before a risky change | Yes | Sometimes |
| Include attached volumes in the capture | Yes, where supported. | No |
| Launch another node with the same configured base state | Sometimes, if saving an image from a snapshot is supported. | Yes |
| Prepare a reusable image for future node creation | No | Yes |
| Keep a node configuration for repeatable deployment | No | Yes |
For the image side of this comparison, see Node Images.
How Snapshots Affect Other Node Actions
Snapshots can affect other node operations:
- Existing snapshots can block some storage or root-storage changes until the snapshots are deleted.
- Locked snapshots cannot be deleted until they are unlocked.
- Locked nodes can block snapshot actions.
- Deleting a node does not replace the need to review related saved images, snapshots, backups, volumes, public IPs, and Add-on IPs.
Before deleting or changing a node, check whether you still need its snapshots.
Related Resources
| Resource | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Manage Nodes | Main node management overview. |
| Node Images | Reusable saved images created from nodes or snapshots. |
| Node Encryption | Understand how encrypted nodes affect snapshot management. |
| Action Availability | Check why snapshot actions are hidden, disabled, or rejected. |
| Node Snapshots | Full snapshot workflow, including schedule and lifecycle details. |
| Block Storage | Manage attached volumes used by node snapshots. |
| CDP Backups | Use backup and recovery workflows separate from snapshots. |