How snapshots work on your NG HOST VIP Storage Box, and how to create, restore and access them.
What is a snapshot?
A snapshot captures the exact state of your data at the moment it is taken. If something goes wrong later — files are changed, corrupted or deleted — you can restore a snapshot and return your box to that earlier state. You manage snapshots from the Snapshots tab of your service page.
Manual vs. automatic snapshots
- Manual snapshots are created and deleted by you. When you reach the maximum number, you must delete one before you can create a new one.
- Automatic snapshots are created on a schedule you define. When the maximum number is reached, the oldest one is removed automatically to make room for the newest.
Maximum number of snapshots
The maximum depends on your plan:
| Plan | Manual snapshots | Automatic snapshots |
|---|---|---|
| 1 TB | 10 | 10 |
| 5 TB | 20 | 20 |
| 10 TB | 30 | 30 |
| 20 TB | 40 | 40 |
Creating a manual snapshot
Open the Snapshots tab and click Create snapshot now. The new snapshot appears in the list and you can restore or delete it at any time.
Automatic snapshot schedule
Enable an automatic plan to have snapshots taken for you on a regular schedule:
- Interval — Daily, Weekly (choose the weekday) or Monthly (choose the day of the month).
- Execution time (UTC) — the hour and minute the snapshot is taken.
- Max. amount — how many automatic snapshots to keep (up to your plan's limit). When the limit is reached, the oldest is deleted automatically.
The plan is off by default — it only runs once you enable it with your own settings.
Accessing snapshots as files
You can browse the contents of your snapshots directly and download individual files or folders — without performing a full restore.
- Enable Display snapshot directory on the Snapshots tab.
- Connect over SSH / SFTP (port 23) and open the snapshot directory, for example
/home/.zfs/snapshot/. Each snapshot has its own subfolder. - You can read and copy from this directory, but you cannot write into it.
How snapshots use storage
- Snapshots are stored on your own box and count toward your total capacity — there is no separate charge for them.
- Right after a snapshot is taken it uses almost no space. Space is only consumed when files are later changed or deleted (a copy of the original is kept).
- New files added after a snapshot do not add to that snapshot's size.
