Snapshot Based Backup
Snapshot based backup is a data protection technique that creates point-in-time copies (snapshots) of storage volumes, databases, or virtual machines, capturing their state at a specific moment. These snapshots are typically stored within the same storage system or cloud environment, enabling rapid recovery by restoring data to the exact state it was in when the snapshot was taken. It is widely used for minimizing downtime, ensuring data consistency, and supporting disaster recovery and development/testing workflows.
Developers should learn and use snapshot based backup when working with critical systems that require minimal recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO), such as production databases, virtualized infrastructure, or cloud-native applications. It is particularly valuable for scenarios like rolling back failed updates, creating consistent backups for compliance, or cloning environments for testing without impacting live data, as it offers faster and more efficient recovery compared to traditional file-level backups.