Is a snapshot the same as a backup?
I want to do an "apt upgrade" on my Linode (it's Debian-11, and I want to upgrade to "Debian unstable").
Before I do so, I want to back up my entire Linode, so that if the upgrade fails, I can restore my Linode to the exact state that it was in before doing the "apt upgrade".
If I take a manual snapshot, will I be able to restore my Linode to its exact state some time in the future, or are snapshots different from backups such that I would have to take a backup instead of a snapshot in order to do what I want?
However, if I need to take a backup in order for this to work, is there a way to schedule an ad hoc backup, or will I need to wait until the next scheduled backup?
Thank you in advance.
1 Reply
eruzanski
Linode Staff
✓ Best Answer
By taking a snapshot of your Linode before making any significant system changes, you can easily revert back to the exact state of your Linode at the time of the snapshot, ensuring a seamless recovery if anything goes wrong.
Once Linode Backups are enabled, automated daily backups will commence according to your specified preferences. As for manual snapshots, the only way to delete or overwrite a snapshot is by taking a new manual snapshot.
Additionally, there are a few other noteworthy options available to you for this circumstance. You can save your Linode as a Linode Image in the Cloud Manager, or you can download a disk image of your Linode to create an off-site copy of your Linode's disk.
The choice of which approach to take is entirely up to you, but all of these options are either low-cost or free. They will undoubtedly prove invaluable in safeguarding your system in the event that the upgrade results in any issues.