Using volume snapshots to duplicate or backup an instance

You can use the volume snapshot function to capture the state of a boot volume, and then use this snapshot to launch a new instance. The new instance will be in the same state as the instance from which you created the snapshot.

This must be done using the advanced interface, which you can access via Bryn.

To ensure that the disk being snapshotted and the snapshot itself remain consistent, ensure that as little disk activity as possible is happening on the instance.


Taking a volume snapshot

When you’ve signed into the advanced interface (Horizon), find the instance that you would like to snapshot and duplicate.

Then click the instance name to open the details page, then click the link to open the volume details page for /dev/vda:

On the boot volume details page, use the dropdown next to “Edit Volume” to select “Create Snapshot”:

Fill in a name and any other details and click “Create Volume Snapshot (Force)”:

You are then dropped into the Volume Snapshots tab of the Volumes page, with the snapshot in the list:


Launching a volume snapshot as a new instance

From the Volume Snapshots tab of the Volumes page, find the volume snapshot that you want to launch as a new instance, and use the dropdown next to “Create Volume” to click “Launch as Instance”:

Follow the prompts to launch a new instance, making sure to leave the “Instance Boot Source” and “Volume Snapshot” options untouched and not forgetting to add the correct SSH key in the “Access & Security” tab.

Note: GVL requires extra configuration for launching correctly, which is provided by Bryn, but not by Horizon. Launching GVL instances from volume snapshots may result in some things not working as expected, particularly the web services like R-studio and Jupyterhub. Please test new instances created from GVL volume snapshots!