How to Manage Snapshots?

In one of the previous post, we learned How to create a snapshot.

We can work with snapshots from vCenter, ESXi command line, Host client or by making API calls from PowerCLI or similar tools.

In this post, we will see how to manage the snapshots from the vCenter server. Using a Snapshot Manager, you’ll be able to:

1. Take snapshots

2. Revert to the latest snapshot or any other snapshot

3. Delete a snapshot

4. Delete all snapshots

5. Edit a snapshot (Name and Description)

6. Consolidate disks

To Manage the snapshots from vSphere Client(HTML5)

Select a VM > Click on ACTIONS > Snapshots > Manage Snapshots

Once you click on Manage Snapshots, a new window will open which will have all the details of snapshot on that VM.

Let's see more on the available options -

1. Reverting to a snapshot

When we revert to a snapshot, it immediately restore the parent snapshot of the virtual machine. Disks that we added or changed after the snapshot was taken are reverted to the snapshot point. For example, when you take a snapshot of a virtual machine, add a disk, and revert the snapshot, the added disk is removed.

Independent disks are also removed when you revert to a snapshot that was taken before the disk was added. If the latest snapshot includes an independent disk, its contents do not change when you revert to that snapshot.

The state a VM reverts to, depends on the selected options at the time the snapshot was taken. If the memory option was selected, the VM remains powered on while it reverts back to a previous state. If the memory option was not included at the time the snapshot was taken, you will need to power up the VM manually after reverting back from snapshot regardless of the power state the VM was in when the snapshot was taken.

2. Deleting a Snapshot

Snapshot Manager can be used to delete a single snapshot or all snapshots in a snapshot tree. Deleting snapshots is an I/O expensive process and may affect performance. When a snapshot is deleted, the current state of a VM remains unchanged.

Delete – Consolidates the snapshot data to the parent snapshot and removes the selected snapshot from the Snapshot Manager and virtual machine.

Delete All – Consolidates all of the immediate snapshots before the You are here current state to the base parent disk and removes all existing snapshots from the Snapshot Manager and virtual machine.

3. Edit Snapshot

You can Edit the snapshot name and description.

Keeping it short, I'll wrap up this post here.

Thank you for reading!

*** Explore | Share | Grow ***