A Snapshot is a complete, point-in-time copy of your VPS disk. It allows you to save the state of your server before making critical changes (like updates) or to clone your server to a new instance.
Your first snapshot is free of charge! Additional snapshots are billed according to our pricing page.
1. Snapshot Types: Offline vs. Online
Before creating a snapshot, you must choose the method. We strongly recommend the default (Offline) method for data integrity.
Option A: Offline Snapshot (Recommended)
By default, the system will briefly shut down your VPS.
- Why? This ensures the filesystem is "quiesced" (paused). All data in memory is written to disk, guaranteeing a 100% consistent backup (crash-consistent).
- Impact: Your server will be offline for a few minutes (depending on disk size). It boots up automatically afterwards.
Option B: Online Snapshot
You can check the box "Online snapshot" to keep the server running.
An online snapshot captures the disk while applications are still writing to it. This is comparable to pulling the plug on a running computer.
Databases (MySQL/PostgreSQL) might become corrupt because data held in RAM was not yet written to the disk. Only use this if you cannot afford downtime and accept the risk.
2. How to Create a Snapshot
- Log in to the MyTilaa Dashboard.
- Navigate to VPS and select your server.
- Click on the tab Snapshots (or 'Create Snapshot' in the task menu).
- (Optional) Add a label/name to identify the backup later.
- Click Create Snapshot.
Note: While the snapshot is being created, other management tasks are locked.
3. Restoring & Managing Snapshots
Snapshots are stored securely on the Tilaa storage platform. You cannot download them to your local computer, but you can use them within the dashboard.
How to Restore
If something went wrong with your server, you can roll back time.
- Go to the Snapshots overview of your VPS.
- Select the snapshot you want to use.
- Click Restore.
Restoring a snapshot will permanently overwrite all current data on the VPS disk. This cannot be undone.
Pro Tip: Cloning
You can also use a snapshot to launch a new VPS (Clone). When ordering a new server, select "My Snapshots" as the image source instead of a standard OS.