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06. 💾 EBS Snapshot

An EBS Snapshot is a point-in-time backup of an EBS volume. You can create it anytime — detaching the volume is optional but recommended.

Snapshots can be copied across Availability Zones or Regions.

Useful for backup, restore, and migration of volumes.

⚙️ EBS Snapshot Features​

🗄️ EBS Snapshot Archive​

  • Move snapshots to an archive tier (up to 75% cheaper).
  • Restore time: 24–72 hours.

🧺 Recycle Bin for Snapshots​

  • Retain deleted snapshots for accidental recovery.
  • Configure retention policies (from 1 day to 1 year).

🪄 Creating an EBS Snapshot​

🪜 Steps​

  1. Go to EC2 Dashboard → Elastic Block Store → Volumes.

  2. Select the volume you want to back up.

  3. Click Actions → Create Snapshot.

  4. (Optional) Add a Description or Tags for identification.

  5. Click Create Snapshot.

💡 You don’t need to detach the volume to take a snapshot but it’s recommended to ensure data consistency.

🔁 Copying an EBS Snapshot​

🪜 Steps​

  1. Go to EC2 Dashboard → Elastic Block Store → Snapshots.
  2. Select the snapshot you want to copy.
  3. Click Actions → Copy Snapshot.
  4. Choose the Destination Region or Availability Zone.
  5. (Optional) Encrypt the copy or add tags.
  6. Click Copy Snapshot.

🎯 Why Copy a Snapshot?​

ReasonDescription
Cross-Region BackupProtect data from regional failures by keeping backups in another Region.
MigrationMove EBS volumes or AMIs to a different Region for deployment.
SharingCopy and share snapshots with other AWS accounts.
ComplianceMaintain geographically distributed backups for disaster recovery.

💽 Creating a Volume from a Snapshot​

🪜 Steps​

  1. Go to EC2 Dashboard → Elastic Block Store → Snapshots.
  2. Select the snapshot you want to restore.
  3. Click Actions → Create Volume from Snapshot.
  4. Choose:
    • Volume Type (e.g., gp3, io2)
    • Size (can be larger than the snapshot)
    • Availability Zone (where you’ll attach the instance)
  5. Click Create Volume.

🎯 Why Create a Volume from a Snapshot?​

Use CaseDescription
Data RecoveryRestore data from a previous backup.
CloningCreate identical volumes for testing or scaling.
MigrationRecreate the volume in another Region or AZ.

🧺 Creating a Retention Rule for Recycling Snapshots, Volumes or AMI​

🪜 Steps​

  1. Go to EC2 Dashboard → Elastic Block Store → Recycle Bin.
  2. Click Create Retention Rule.
  3. Under Resource Type, select EBS Snapshots.
  4. Set:
    • Retention Period: e.g., 7 days, 30 days, or up to 1 year.
    • Resource Tags: define which snapshots the rule applies to.
  5. Click Create Rule.
  6. Now any deleted snapshot will go to recycle bin first.