What is an EBS snapshot?
EBS snapshot are point in time, incremental backups of EBS volumes stored in amazon S3. They enable data protection , disaster recovery, volume migration across availability zones or regions . EBS snapshot only save changed blocks since last snapshot, reducing storage costs and time .
Are snapshots full backups?
No, the snapshots are not full backup. They are point in time backups , they are typically incremental , dependant on original data and stored on the same storage, making them unsuitable for discovery recovery or long term data retention , unlike true backups.
Can you attach a snapshot directly to an EC2 instance?
No, you can not directly attach to an existing running EC2 instance. Like a live disk, snapshots are point in time backups stored in S3. To use a snapshot you must convert into a volume and attach to an instance.
Can you create multiple volumes from one snapshot?
Yes, you can create multiple volume from one snapshot. Multi volume snapshots supporr up to 128 amazon EBS volume attached to an instance including the root volume and up to 127 data volumes. Each snapshot in the multi volume snapshot is set as an individual snapshot that can be used in a same way and that support same features , as an individual snapshot.
How are snapshot charges calculated?
EBS snapshot charges calculated based on the amount of data stored (in GB per month) rather than the total size of volume. The are incremental means you pay only for the unique blocks changed or added since last snapshot.