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A computer "snapshot" is a read-only copy of a system's state at a specific moment in time, used for quick recovery or version control. It is not a true backup and relies on the original data, but it can capture the entire state of a virtual machine (including memory) or a file. Snapshots are created quickly, often by using pointers to the original data, and are ideal for short-term rollback before making major changes.

Key characteristics

Point-in-time copy: Captures the state of a system, virtual machine, or files at the exact moment the snapshot is taken.

Read-only: The snapshot itself is a static, read-only copy.

Not a backup: Snapshots depend on the original files or disk. If the original data is lost or corrupted, the snapshot is useless.

Efficient creation: Creating a snapshot is typically very fast because it often involves creating pointers to the existing data blocks rather than copying them all.

Short-term use: Best suited for short-term recovery from recent changes or before performing an update. They can be automatically overwritten to save space.

System-level: Can capture the entire system environment, including OS and configurations, as with a virtual machine.

File-level: Can capture a copy of a single file, preserving its state before an update.