TIR Snapshots FAQ

Taking snapshots

What does a snapshot copy?

A snapshot copies only the VM’s disk, as it was at one moment. The VM’s settings, datasets, and shared file systems stay outside the snapshot. A snapshot you take by hand is kept until you delete it. See Create a VM snapshot.

Can I take a snapshot of a running VM?

Yes. You can take one while the VM is Running or Stopped, on a plan that supports snapshots. The snapshot’s files are in a consistent state when the VM is running and responds to the snapshot request. In every other case, the snapshot holds the disk as it would be after a power cut. See Create a VM snapshot.

Why is Create Snapshot greyed out for my VM?

You can take a snapshot while the VM is Running or Stopped, on a plan that supports snapshots. Hold the pointer over the entry to see which of the two is missing. See Create Snapshot is greyed out, or fails.

What can I name a snapshot?

A name can have up to 128 characters of letters, digits, underscores, and hyphens, and must differ from the names already used for the VM. TIR suggests the VM’s name with the date and time. A schedule names its snapshots scheduled-snapshot- followed by the date and time in India time.

Can I rename a snapshot?

Yes, with Rename in the snapshot’s Actions menu, to a name of up to 255 characters of letters, digits, underscores, and hyphens, while its VM still exists. See Rename a snapshot.

How do I know a snapshot is Ready?

Watch its Status. It shows In progress, then Ready or Failed, and the status changes by itself in the list. See Manage snapshots in a project.

Are snapshots available in both regions?

Yes. Snapshots are available in Delhi and Chennai. See TIR Snapshots.

Restore and new VMs

Does restoring a snapshot erase my current files?

Yes. Restore replaces the VM’s disk with the snapshot, and changes made since the snapshot was taken are permanently lost. To keep the VM as it is, create a new VM from the snapshot instead. Before you restore, read Restore a VM from a snapshot.

Does a restore keep the VM offline?

Yes, until it finishes. The VM stops, gets a disk built from the snapshot, and starts again on its own plan, so its status reads Stopping, Stopped, Starting, and then Running. See Restore a VM from a snapshot.

Can I restore a snapshot onto a different VM?

No. Restore puts a snapshot back on its own source VM. To get its disk on another machine, create a new VM from the snapshot. See Create a VM from a snapshot.

Do snapshots survive deleting the VM?

Yes. A snapshot outlives its VM, and you can still delete it or create a new VM from it. Restore works only while the VM exists, so to get the disk back, create a new VM. See Create a VM from a snapshot.

How do I find the snapshot of a VM that I deleted?

Open Storage > Snapshots. The snapshot is still in the list, with its source VM marked VM deleted. See Manage snapshots in a project.

Can I start a new VM, or an Auto Scaling Group, from a snapshot?

Yes. Create VM starts a new VM in the same project, with the snapshot’s image and version fixed. A snapshot can also be the source of an Auto Scaling Group with Create Auto Scaling Group, except for a snapshot of a GPU VM. Both need the snapshot to be Ready. See Create a VM from a snapshot.

Which SSH keys does a VM created from a snapshot accept?

It accepts the SSH keys you choose on the create form and also the SSH keys of the VM the snapshot was taken from. See Create a VM from a snapshot.

Schedules

Can I take snapshots on a schedule?

Yes. Choose Every 6 hours, Daily, Weekly, or Custom Cron, and how many snapshots to keep, from 1 to 60. Once a schedule passes that number, it removes its oldest scheduled snapshots first. Snapshots you took by hand stay until you delete them. See Schedule VM snapshots.

Can I set one schedule for several VMs?

No. A schedule belongs to one VM. From Storage > Snapshots, select Schedule Snapshot, pick a VM, and repeat for each VM that needs one. See Schedule VM snapshots.

Does turning off a schedule delete my snapshots?

No. Turn Off Schedule stops new snapshots and keeps the old ones. See Schedule VM snapshots.

The Snapshots page

Where can I see all my snapshots?

Under Storage in the side menu, select Snapshots to see every snapshot in the project. A VM’s own Snapshots tab lists only that VM’s snapshots. See Manage snapshots in a project.

What do the three figures above the snapshot list mean?

Snapshot storage is the combined size of the Ready snapshots and their count. VMs with snapshots is how many VMs have at least one Ready snapshot. Needs attention is how many VMs still in the project have a latest snapshot that failed. See Manage snapshots in a project.

On the Snapshots page, each action needs a permission, and you see most actions only when you have it. See Troubleshooting TIR Snapshots.

Sizes and billing

Are snapshots billed?

Yes, for the storage they hold, for as long as each snapshot exists. Deleting a snapshot stops its charge. For prices, see E2E’s pricing page, and to delete one, see Delete a VM snapshot.

Why does deleting a snapshot free less space than Full Snapshot Size shows?

A snapshot shares data with the live disk and with other snapshots, so deleting one may free less than the figure shown. See How snapshots work.

What is the difference between Disk Size and Full Snapshot Size?

Disk Size is the size of the disk the snapshot was taken from, such as 30 GB. Full Snapshot Size is what the snapshot holds beyond that disk. A new VM from the snapshot needs a disk at least as large as Disk Size. See How snapshots work.