Which two are characteristics of snapshot-based backups? (Choose two.)

Question

Options

• ASnapshot-based backups greatly reduce time during which the database and applications are
• BThere is no need for InnoDB tables to perform its own recovery when restoring from the snapshot
• CThe frozen file system can be cloned to another virtual machine immediately into active service.
• DA separate physical copy must be made before releasing the snapshot backup.
• ESnapshot backups can be used only in virtual machines.

• A
  2% (1)
• B
  2% (1)
• C
  6% (3)
• D
  90% (43)

Explanation

Important note: The provided answer key (D, E) appears to contain an error. Based on established database backup principles, the correct answers are most likely A and C.

Why A is correct: Snapshot-based backups dramatically shorten the window during which the database must be locked or applications are unavailable - the snapshot itself is near-instantaneous, so the freeze period is minimal.

Why C is correct: Because the snapshot captures a consistent, frozen image of the filesystem, it can be cloned directly to another VM and brought into active service immediately, making it ideal for rapid provisioning or failover testing.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• B is false - InnoDB does still need crash recovery when restoring from a snapshot, because the snapshot may have captured dirty buffer pages or uncommitted transactions.
• D is false - you can use the snapshot directly without making a separate physical copy first; copying is optional depending on the workflow.
• E is false - snapshots work on physical machines too (LVM snapshots, ZFS snapshots), not only virtual machines.

Memory tip: Think of a snapshot like a photograph of your disk - it's instant (reduces downtime ), and you can hand a copy to someone else to use immediately (clonable ). You still need to "develop" (recover) InnoDB internals, and physical machines can be photographed just as easily as virtual ones.

If your exam source insists D and E are correct, I'd recommend verifying against official documentation, as this appears to be an error in the answer key.

No community discussion yet for this question.