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Snapshots & backups ​

Snapshots and backups both give you a way back if something goes wrong, and they are easy to mix up. A snapshot captures your server's disk at a single point in time so you can roll the machine back to exactly how it was. A backup is a saved copy of the server that you keep and restore from later. Reach for a snapshot before a risky change you might want to undo quickly, and rely on backups as your ongoing safety net.

Snapshots ​

A snapshot freezes the disk as it is right now. If a change breaks the server, you roll back to the snapshot and the disk returns to that captured state.

You manage snapshots on an instance's Snapshots tab. You can also open Snapshots in the sidebar to see them across your workspace.

Create a snapshot ​

Open the instance, go to the Snapshots tab, and select Create snapshot. Give it a name you will recognize later. The panel captures the disk and the snapshot appears in the list with the time it was taken and its size.

dash.galaxygate.net / Instances / web-01 / Snapshots
Snapshots
Instances › Snapshots
Start here
NameCreatedSize
before-upgrade2026-07-14 09:1218.4 GB

The button pulses because that is where you click.

Restore a snapshot ​

Find the snapshot in the list on the Snapshots tab and restore it. The panel rolls the disk back to the state it captured, so anything you changed after taking the snapshot is discarded.

Backups ​

A backup is a saved copy of your server that you keep so you can restore from it later. Where a snapshot is your quick undo button for a specific moment, backups are the copies you hold onto as a longer-term safety net.

You manage backups on an instance's Backups tab. You can also open Backups in the sidebar to see them across your workspace.

Create a backup ​

Open the instance, go to the Backups tab, and create a backup. The saved copy then appears in the list.

Restore a backup ​

Find the backup in the list on the Backups tab and restore it. The panel brings the server back to the state saved in that copy.

Snapshot before risky changes ​

Take a snapshot first whenever you are about to do something you might want to undo:

  • A reinstall, which wipes the disk.
  • An operating system or package upgrade.
  • A big configuration edit you are not sure about.

If the change goes wrong, you restore the snapshot and you are back where you started.

Keep names meaningful

Name each snapshot for the change you are about to make, for example before-upgrade or pre-reinstall. When you have several in the list, a clear name is what tells you which one to restore.