Using the Snapshot Manager

The Snapshot Manager lets you review all snapshots for the active virtual machine and act on them directly.

The Snapshot Manager window contains the following areas: Snapshot tree, Details region, Command buttons, Navigation region, and a You are here icon.

Figure 13-1. Snapshot Manager

•	Snapshot tree – Displays all snapshots for the virtual machine.

•	You are here icon – Represents the current operational state of the virtual machine. The You are here icon is always selected and visible when you open the Snapshot Manager.

The You are here icon represents a state that is never a snapshot itself but rather the virtual machine state after the parent snapshot. A snapshot is always a static record of a virtual machine state. The You are here state can be operational and changing. Even when you create a snapshot of a powered off or suspended virtual machine, the You are here state is not identical to the snapshot.

You cannot go to or select the You are here state. You are here always represents the current and active state.

•	Command Buttons – The Snapshot Manager has three command buttons in the left pane: Go to, Delete, and Delete All.

•	Details – Displays the name and description of the selected snapshot. These fields are blank if you have not selected a snapshot.

•	Navigation Region – Contains buttons for navigating out of the dialog box:

•	Close – Closes the Snapshot Manager.

•	Help – Opens the help system.

To use the Snapshot Manager

1	Choose Inventory > Virtual Machine > Snapshot > Snapshot Manager.

2	In the Snapshot Manager, select a snapshot by clicking it.

3	To go to a snapshot, click the Go to button to restore the virtual machine to any arbitrary snapshot.

The Go to command allows you to restore the state of any snapshot.

4	Click Yes in the confirmation dialog box.

5	To delete a snapshot, click the Delete button to permanently remove a snapshot from VirtualCenter use.

6	Click Yes in the confirmation dialog box.

7	To delete all snapshots, click the Delete All button to permanently remove all snapshots from VirtualCenter use.

 

Note	Delete commits the snapshot data to the parent and then removes the selected snapshot. Delete All commits all the immediate snapshots before the You are here current state to the base disk and removes all existing snapshots for that virtual machine.

8	Click Yes in the confirmation dialog box.

9	Click Close to exit the Snapshot Manager.