Create a snapshot of a node

A snapshot captures a node at a point in time. If a change does not go as planned, you can launch a node from that point through a saved image. Take one before something risky, like an upgrade or a configuration you are unsure about. Creating a snapshot needs a node in the C3, M3, SDC3, GDC3, E1, or E1WC family; Node families says what each is. The node must be unlocked and either Running or Powered off.

Take the snapshot

1. Open the node’s detail page and go to its Snapshots tab.
2. Click Snapshot Now.
3. The name starts filled in as snapshot- plus a random number; keep it, or rename it using only letters, digits, underscores, and hyphens.
4. To capture attached storage at the same moment, choose one, several, or all of the node’s attached volumes to snapshot alongside it.
5. Check the price, shown per GB per hour, then confirm.

The new snapshot shows in the list on the Snapshots tab under its name.

While the snapshot is being taken

Leave the node alone until the snapshot finishes: hold off on reinstalling, rebooting, or locking it.

Take snapshots on a schedule

The Snapshots tab also links to scheduling snapshots and setting a snapshot lifecycle. That way a node can snapshot itself on a repeat, instead of you clicking Snapshot Now each time. See Schedule snapshots for a node.

To launch new nodes from this point in time, see Create an image from a snapshot. If Snapshot Now is greyed out, or other actions are blocked while it runs, see Troubleshooting node actions and lifecycle.

To choose between a snapshot, a backup, and a saved image, see Snapshots, backups, and saved images.