CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201)Virtualization and Cloud ComputingMedium
Before applying a risky patch to a production VM, an administrator wants to capture the VM's exact current state so it can be quickly reverted to that exact point if the patch causes problems. Which action should the administrator perform?
- ACreate a full clone of the VM
- BEnable elasticity on the VM
- CExport the VM as a template
- DTake a snapshot of the VM
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Take a snapshot of the VM
A snapshot captures the current state of a VM's disk, memory, and settings at a point in time, allowing quick rollback without the overhead of creating a whole separate copy of the VM.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. A full clone creates an entirely separate, independent VM, which is slower and uses more storage than needed for a quick rollback.
- B. Elasticity relates to scaling resources, not preserving VM state for rollback.
- C. A template is used to deploy new VMs from a standardized image, not to preserve a running VM's exact state.
VM Snapshot
A saved point-in-time image of a VM's disk state, memory, and configuration that allows quick reversion if changes cause problems.
- Faster and smaller than a full clone
- Commonly used before updates or risky changes
- Multiple snapshots can create a chain, impacting performance
Memory trick: Snapshot a photo of the VM before it changes its outfit.