A snapshot is a point-in-time copy of data, a filesystem, or a virtual machine. Snapshots capture the state of a system so it can be restored later, helping with backups, debugging, or disaster recovery. Snapshots are typically stored efficiently by saving only the differences from the previous state (copy-on-write or block-level tracking). They are used in cloud environments, databases, and container systems.
Why it matters
Snapshots make it easy to roll back changes, test updates safely, and recover from failures without full backups. They provide fast, space-efficient protection for critical data and infrastructure.
Examples
Creating an EBS snapshot in AWS, snapshotting a VM, or taking a database snapshot for backups. Lessons in cloud and DevOps tracks reinforce snapshot usage.