zfs-snapshot - create snapshots of ZFS datasets
ZFS-SNAPSHOT(8) System Manager’s Manual ZFS-SNAPSHOT(8)
NAME
zfs-snapshot — create snapshots of ZFS datasets
SYNOPSIS
zfs snapshot [−r] [
−o property=value ]⦠dataset@snapnameâ¦
DESCRIPTION
Creates a snapshot of a dataset or multiple snapshots of different datasets.
Snapshots are created atomically. That is, a snapshot is a consistent image of a dataset at a specific point in time; it includes all modifications to the dataset made by system calls that have successfully completed before that point in time. Recursive snapshots created through the −r option are all created at the same time.
zfs snap can be used as an alias for zfs snapshot.
See the “Snapshots” section of zfsconcepts(7) for details.
−o property=value
Set the specified property; see zfs create for details.
−r
Recursively create snapshots of all descendent datasets
EXAMPLES
Example 1: Creating a ZFS Snapshot
The following command creates a snapshot named yesterday. This snapshot is mounted on demand in the .zfs/snapshot directory at the root of the pool/home/bob file system.
# zfs snapshot pool/home/bob@yesterday
Example 2: Creating and Destroying Multiple Snapshots
The following command creates snapshots named yesterday of pool/home and all of its descendent file systems. Each snapshot is mounted on demand in the .zfs/snapshot directory at the root of its file system. The second command destroys the newly created snapshots.
# zfs snapshot −r
pool/home@yesterday
# zfs destroy −r
pool/home@yesterday
Example 3: Promoting a ZFS Clone
The following commands illustrate how to test out changes to a file system, and then replace the original file system with the changed one, using clones, clone promotion, and renaming:
# zfs create
pool/project/production
populate /pool/project/production with data
# zfs snapshot
pool/project/production@today
# zfs clone pool/project/production@today
pool/project/beta
make changes to /pool/project/beta and test them
# zfs promote pool/project/beta
# zfs rename pool/project/production
pool/project/legacy
# zfs rename pool/project/beta
pool/project/production
once the legacy version is no longer needed, it can be
destroyed
# zfs destroy pool/project/legacy
Example 4: Performing a Rolling Snapshot
The following example shows how to maintain a history of snapshots with a consistent naming scheme. To keep a week’s worth of snapshots, the user destroys the oldest snapshot, renames the remaining snapshots, and then creates a new snapshot, as follows:
# zfs destroy −r
pool/users@7daysago
# zfs rename −r pool/users@6daysago
@7daysago
# zfs rename −r pool/users@5daysago
@6daysago
# zfs rename −r pool/users@4daysago
@5daysago
# zfs rename −r pool/users@3daysago
@4daysago
# zfs rename −r pool/users@2daysago
@3daysago
# zfs rename −r pool/users@yesterday
@2daysago
# zfs rename −r pool/users@today
@yesterday
# zfs snapshot −r
pool/users@today
SEE ALSO
zfs-bookmark(8), zfs-clone(8), zfs-destroy(8), zfs-diff(8), zfs-hold(8), zfs-rename(8), zfs-rollback(8), zfs-send(8) OpenZFS July 11, 2022 ZFS-SNAPSHOT(8)