> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.plenit.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.plenit.com/docs-en/productos/servers-2/how-to/how-to-snapshot-and-restore-a-server.md).

# How to Take a Server Snapshot and Restore It Later

A snapshot, or instant, is a capture of a server's state at a specific moment.

It lets you quickly roll back when you're about to do something risky (a system update, a software change) and want a safety net in case something goes wrong.

> #### 👍 What you get
>
> A server rollback point before an important change, and the way to revert to it in minutes if needed.

> #### 📘 A snapshot is not a backup
>
> The snapshot is a quick, temporary rollback, meant to be used before a change and deleted afterward.
>
> It does not replace backups, which are your long-term protection. Keeping snapshots alive for too long hurts server performance.

### Before you start

* Log in to the Plenit platform.
* Have a **Servers** with a deployed server.

> #### 🚧 Maximum three snapshots per server
>
> Each server supports up to three active VM snapshots. Delete them when you no longer need them: piling them up fragments the data and degrades performance.

### Step 1. Access the server details page

1. Go to the subscription of **Servers** from its card.
2. Open the subsection **Servers** from the sidebar menu, or from the Servers box of the **Overview**.
3. In the server's context menu, click **Edit**.

{/\* 📸 CAPTURE 1 · server context menu with the Edit option \*/}

![Access to the server details page from the Edit option](https://REEMPLAZA-URL/servidores-howto-snapshot-01.png)

### Step 2. Create the snapshot

With the details page open, it is recommended to **shut down the machine** before capturing. It is not mandatory, but taking the snapshot with the server powered off ensures data consistency.

1. Shut down the server and wait for confirmation.
2. Open the **Snapshot** option from the top menu.
3. Enter a **name** for the snapshot name (in the example, `sysprep`) and click **Continue**.

The platform indicates that the snapshot is being created and, when it's done, you'll see it in the **Snapshot VM** tab of the details page. You can then turn the machine back on and make your changes with a safety net.

{/\* 📸 CAPTURE 2 · Snapshot option in the top menu and the snapshot name field \*/}

![Creating the snapshot with its name from the server details page](https://REEMPLAZA-URL/servidores-howto-snapshot-02.png)

> #### 📘 If you can't shut it down, ensure consistency
>
> For database-backed workloads, capturing live can leave data incomplete. If you can't shut it down, stop the service just before the snapshot and resume it afterward.

> In Windows, from PowerShell as administrator:
>
> ```powershell
> Stop-Service -Name "MSSQLSERVER"
> ```
>
> On Linux:
>
> ```shell
> sudo systemctl stop <service>
> ```

### Step 3. Restore the server from the snapshot

1. Go back to the server details page and open the **Snapshot VM**.
2. Select the snapshot you want and click **Revert**.
3. Confirm. The server returns to the state saved in that snapshot.

{/\* 📸 CAPTURE 3 · Snapshot VM tab with the Revert button and confirmation \*/}

![Server restoration with the Revert button from Snapshot VM](https://REEMPLAZA-URL/servidores-howto-snapshot-03.png)

> #### 🚧 Reverting discards anything after it
>
> When you revert, the server returns exactly to the snapshot state: anything changed afterward is lost.&#x20;
>
> Make sure that's what you want before confirming.

### Best practices

* Create the snapshot **right before** the change, not days earlier.
* **Delete it** as soon as you verify that the change went well.
* Don't use snapshots as a backup: that's what backups are for.

<br>


---

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