Create a VM snapshot

Take a snapshot of a TIR Virtual Machine to keep a copy of its disk as it is now. Use it to return to that state later or to protect the disk before a change.

A snapshot copies only the VM’s disk, as it is at one moment. It leaves out the VM’s settings, mounted datasets, and mounted shared file systems.

Before you begin

• A VM in the Running or Stopped state, on a plan that supports snapshots. See Create a VM.
• Permission to create VMs in the project. To start from the VM’s three-dot menu instead, you need permission to update VMs. See TIR Access Control.

Take the snapshot

Start from the VM when you have it open, or from the project’s snapshot list to pick any VM in the project.

From the VM.

1. In the side menu, under Compute, select Virtual Machines, and open the VM.
2. Open the Snapshots tab and select Create Snapshot. The same entry is on the VM’s three-dot menu.
3. In the Create Snapshot dialog, enter a Snapshot Name, or keep the name TIR suggests: the VM’s name, the date, and the time. Select Create.

From the project’s snapshot list.

1. In the side menu, under Storage, select Snapshots, then Create Snapshot.
2. Choose the VM under VM, and enter a Snapshot Name. You can choose only a VM that can take a snapshot, and TIR says why any other is left out.
3. Select Create.

A name can have up to 128 characters of letters, digits, underscores, and hyphens, and must differ from the names already used for this VM.

The snapshot starts at once. If Create Snapshot is unavailable or the request fails, see Create Snapshot is greyed out, or fails.

What the snapshot holds

A snapshot of a running VM holds its files in a consistent state when the VM responds to the snapshot request. In any other case, including a stopped VM, the snapshot holds the disk as it would look after a power cut.

A snapshot you take yourself stays until you delete it, and it stays when you delete the VM. Its storage is billed for as long as it exists; for prices, see E2E Networks pricing.

Wait for the snapshot to be ready

The new snapshot shows In progress under Status, then Ready. The status changes by itself, so you can leave the tab open. To see the snapshots of every VM in the project, see Manage snapshots in a project.

You can restore the VM or create a new VM from the snapshot once it shows Ready. A snapshot that shows Failed did not complete; take a new one, and see Troubleshooting TIR Snapshots.

Rename a snapshot

To give a snapshot a name you will recognise later, such as before-upgrade, rename it. Open its Actions menu on the Snapshots tab or on the project’s Snapshots page, and select Rename. In the Rename Snapshot dialog, enter the new Snapshot Name, up to 255 characters of letters, digits, underscores, and hyphens, and select Rename. You need permission to update VMs, and you can rename a snapshot while its VM still exists.

To use a snapshot, see Restore a VM from a snapshot or Create a VM from a snapshot. To take snapshots automatically, see Schedule VM snapshots, and to clear out old ones, see Delete a VM snapshot.