---
title: "Schedule VM snapshots"
description: "Set a TIR Virtual Machine to snapshot its disk every six hours, daily, weekly, or on your own schedule, and choose how many to keep."
content_type: "how-to"
product: "tir-snapshots"
platform: "TIR"
url: "/tir/tir-snapshots/how-to/schedule-vm-snapshots/"
topic: ["take-snapshots"]
---

# Schedule VM snapshots

Schedule snapshots to copy a TIR Virtual Machine's disk automatically, so you always have a recent
copy to return to, and TIR takes it for you.

Like any snapshot, a scheduled one copies only the VM's disk. Its settings, datasets, and shared file
systems are outside the copy.

## Before you begin

- A VM that is **Running** or **Stopped**, on a plan that supports snapshots. See
  [Create a VM snapshot](/tir/tir-snapshots/how-to/create-a-vm-snapshot/).
- Update permission in the project. See
  [TIR Access Control](/tir/tir-iam/).

## Set the schedule

A schedule belongs to one VM. Open the dialog from the VM or from the project's snapshot list.

- From the VM: in the side menu, under **Compute**, select **Virtual Machines**, open the VM, open its
  **Snapshots** tab, and select **Schedule Snapshot**.
- From the list: in the side menu, under **Storage**, select **Snapshots**, then **Schedule Snapshot**.
  Choose the VM and select **Next**. Only a VM that is **Running** or **Stopped**, on a plan that
  supports snapshots, can be chosen. You then set up or change that VM's schedule the same way.

In **Schedule Snapshot**:

1. Under **Snapshot Frequency**, choose how often. **Daily** suits most VMs; choose **Every 6 hours**
   for a disk that changes through the day, **Weekly** for one that rarely changes, and **Custom
   Cron** for any other timetable:
   - **Every 6 hours** runs at 00:00, 06:00, 12:00, and 18:00 India time.
   - **Daily** takes one snapshot a day. Set the hour and the minute under **Run at (IST)**.
   - **Weekly** takes one snapshot a week. Pick the **Day of week**, then set **Run at (IST)**.
   - **Custom Cron** is a timetable of your own. Enter five fields, in India time: minute, hour,
     day of month, month, and weekday. For example, `30 7 * * *` is 07:30 every day. While the text is
     valid, TIR gives the next three runs so you can check it.
2. Under **How many snapshots to keep**, enter a number from 1 to 60. It starts at 7. Once the schedule has more than this number, it removes the oldest scheduled snapshots first. See
   [How many snapshots are kept](#how-many-snapshots-are-kept).
3. Select **Schedule Snapshot**. With **Custom Cron**, all five fields must be valid first. See [Troubleshooting TIR
   Snapshots](/tir/tir-snapshots/troubleshooting/tir-snapshots/#the-confirm-button-on-schedule-snapshot-is-greyed-out).

Automatic snapshots are now on. Each scheduled snapshot is named `scheduled-snapshot-` followed by the date and the time in India time.

On that tab, **Protection** is **Scheduled**, with the schedule, and **Next run** gives the time
until the next scheduled snapshot.

## Change the schedule

While a schedule is on, select **Edit Schedule** on the **Snapshots** tab, change what you need,
and select **Save Schedule**.

## How many snapshots are kept

When a schedule has taken more snapshots than the number you chose to keep, it removes the oldest
scheduled ones first. Snapshots you took by hand stay until you delete them.

Storage is billed for every snapshot that exists, so a lower number to keep costs less. For prices,
see [E2E Networks pricing](https://www.e2enetworks.com/pricing).

## Turn the schedule off

To stop new snapshots, select **Edit Schedule** on the **Snapshots** tab, then **Turn Off Schedule**
in the dialog. The snapshots the schedule already took are kept. You can also open
this dialog from the project's list: select **Schedule Snapshot**, choose the VM, and select **Next**.

To use a snapshot that shows **Ready**, whether the schedule took it or you did, see
[Restore a VM from a snapshot](/tir/tir-snapshots/how-to/restore-a-vm-from-a-snapshot/) or
[Create a VM from a snapshot](/tir/tir-snapshots/how-to/create-a-vm-from-a-snapshot/). To clear out
old snapshots, see [Delete a VM snapshot](/tir/tir-snapshots/how-to/delete-a-vm-snapshot/).