Understanding EBS Snapshots in AWS

What is an EBS Snapshot?

An EBS Snapshot is a point-in-time backup of an Amazon EBS (Elastic Block Store) volume. These snapshots allow you to create backups without detaching the volume from an EC2 instance, though it is recommended to do so for data consistency.

Key Benefits of EBS Snapshots:

• They can be copied across different Availability Zones (AZs) or even across AWS Regions.
• They allow for restoring EBS volumes in different AZs, enabling disaster recovery and migration.

Example Use Case:

If an EC2 instance in US-EAST-1A has an EBS volume, you can take a snapshot of that volume and restore it in US-EAST-1B. This makes it possible to transfer EBS volumes between AZs.

Important Features of EBS Snapshots

1. EBS Snapshot Archive

• Moves snapshots to an archive tier, reducing storage costs by up to 75%.
• Restoration time from the archive takes between 24 to 72 hours, making it not an instant recovery option.
• Best for long-term storage of infrequently accessed backups.

2. Recycle Bin for EBS Snapshots

• Prevents permanent deletion by sending deleted snapshots to a Recycle Bin.
• Snapshots in the Recycle Bin can be restored in case of accidental deletion.
• Retention period can be set between 1 day to 1 year.

3. Fast Snapshot Restore (FSR)

• Pre-initializes snapshots to remove latency on first use.