Create and Delete Virtual Machine Snapshots

This page covers how to take a snapshot of a virtual machine (VM) and how to delete one.

  • The Admin or Backup role.

Snapshot a Virtual Machine

A VM can have a snapshot taken at any time, whether it is powered on or off, and each snapshot creates a “restore point” of the VM from the moment in time it was taken. Snapshots are intended for local VM backup on a system running SC//HyperCore™ HyperVisor.

Snapshots cannot be moved outside the SC//HyperCore system environment, because they are tied to their specific VM virtual disks and to the internal metadata on the SC//HyperCore system. To export VM data and/or restoration points, use the Export VM or SC//HyperCore replication feature.

Currently, up to 5,000 snapshots can be stored for a VM. The realistic limitation, however, is the system’s capacity to store snapshot changes, since VM snapshots are allocate-on-write and grow with each subsequent change made on the VM.

The Diff Size shown in the Snapshots popup dialog does not indicate the size of the specific snapshot; it only indicates the block changes at the system level that have taken place for the VM since the last snapshot was taken.

Create a VM Snapshot

  1. Open the Summary or Snapshots and Replication screen on the VM card.
  2. Click the Snapshot VM (camera) icon, which opens a popup dialog.
  3. Enter a name and/or description for the snapshot in the Label field.
  4. Click Snapshot to save and create the snapshot.

Delete a Virtual Machine Snapshot

As snapshots grow or become outdated, you may need to delete them.

  1. Open the Snapshots and Replication screen on the VM card.
  2. Click the Snapshots icon, the Latest snapshot date and time, or the snapshot Count, which opens a popup dialog that lists all snapshots from newest to oldest.
  3. Click the Delete (garbage can) icon to the right of the snapshot you want to delete, which opens a confirmation dialog.
  4. Click Delete Snapshot to confirm and remove the snapshot.