What should you NOT use VM snapshots for?

VM snapshots are a feature in virtualization environments that allow you to capture the state of a virtual machine at a specific point in time. While they serve several useful purposes, it is crucial to understand the limitations associated with their use.

Utilizing VM snapshots as a substitute for backups is not appropriate because snapshots are not designed to provide the same level of data protection and recovery capability as traditional backups. Snapshots maintain a reference point for the virtual machine's disk state, allowing for quick rollback if necessary; however, they do not replace the comprehensive and secure storage of data that a proper backup would deliver. Snapshots can become problematic if used as a primary means of data protection. For instance, if a virtual machine experiences corruption or failure, relying solely on snapshots may not ensure data integrity or complete restore capabilities.

While snapshots do have their advantages in contexts like time-stamped backups, performance monitoring, and testing application changes, their limitations are critical to understand. Snapshots can quickly consume disk space and may degrade performance if left in place for extended periods. Therefore, it's essential to keep these considerations in mind when managing virtual environments.