What is a snapshot in storage used for?

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Snapshots capture the state of a volume or file system at a specific moment, providing a point-in-time copy that you can use for backup and restore without affecting the live data. They work efficiently because they reference the existing data blocks and only store changes made after the snapshot is taken (copy-on-write), making the snapshot space-saving and quick to create. This lets you back up from a consistent view or revert to that exact moment if something goes wrong, while the system continues running normally. Snapshots are distinct from remote disaster-recovery replicas or on-demand provisioning in storage pools, which serve different purposes.