AWS EBS Snapshots
AWS EBS Snapshots are point-in-time backups of Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) volumes, which provide block-level storage for Amazon EC2 instances. They capture the data on an EBS volume at a specific moment, storing it incrementally in Amazon S3 for durability and cost-efficiency. These snapshots can be used to create new EBS volumes, restore data, or migrate volumes across AWS regions or accounts.
Developers should use manual EBS snapshots for critical data protection, such as before making major changes to an EC2 instance or for compliance with backup policies. They are essential for disaster recovery scenarios, allowing quick restoration of volumes in case of data loss or corruption. Manual snapshots provide control over backup timing, unlike automated ones, making them ideal for ad-hoc backups or testing environments.