Skip to content

Snapshots vs Backups

Snapshots vs Backups: Key Differences

Snapshots

Snapshots

Local Filesystem Snapshots

  • Local filesystem snapshots stored on the same physical node
  • Instant creation - takes seconds to create
  • Node-specific - cannot be moved or cloned to other nodes
  • Purpose: Quick rollback points for testing or temporary changes
  • Limitation: Tied to the local storage of the specific node
  • Cost: 10% of the VM price, billed hourly

Backups

Backups

Centralized Backup Storage

  • Complete VM images stored in centralized backup storage
  • Cluster-wide availability - accessible from any node
  • Portable - can be used to restore or clone VMs anywhere in the cluster
  • Purpose: Disaster recovery, long-term storage, and VM cloning
  • Advantage: Not tied to any specific node's local storage
  • Cost: 20% of the VM price, billed hourly
  • Schedule: Backups run automatically every night
  • Retention: We keep the 7 most recent backups; older ones are rotated out automatically. Seven rotating backups is what we guarantee.
  • Protected backups: Backups you mark as protected are excluded from rotation. As a courtesy, and only when we have the resources, we may keep up to 3 protected backups on top of the 7 rotating ones (so up to 10 in total). This is a courtesy rather than an obligation and is subject to change.