System Snapshots

Cumulus Linux provides commands to manage system configuration snapshots. You can configure the switch to take snapshots after every successful nv config apply command and schedule the switch to take weekly snapshots.

The switch stores all configuration snapshots in the /var/lib/config-backup/auto-snapshots directory, enforcing an internal storage capacity limit by automatically pruning old backups. The snapshot names are in the format config_backup-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS_cumulus; for example, config_backup-2026-05-19-11.54.59_cumulus.

You can restore a configuration snapshot on the switch.

Enable Automatic Snapshot Collection

To enable automatic snapshot collection, run the nv action system config backup state enabled command:

cumulus@switch:~$ nv action system config backup state enabled

When enabled, the switch takes automatic snapshots after every successful nv config apply command and stores the snapshots in the /var/lib/config-backup/auto-snapshots/applied directory.

To disable automatic snapshot collection, run the nv action system config backup state disabled command. When disabled, the switch does not create any new snapshots.

Schedule Weekly Snapshots

To schedule weekly snapshot collection, edit the file and update the option:

The switch stores the snapshots in the /var/lib/config-backup/auto-snapshots/weekly directory.

cumulus@switch:~$ 

Storage Capacity Limit

The switch enforces an internal storage capacity limit of 512 MB for each directory (/var/lib/config-backup/auto-snapshots/weekly and /var/lib/config-backup/auto-snapshots/applied). When the directory reaches above 512 MB, the switch deletes the oldest snapshots automatically and logs the deleted snapshots.

Restore a Snapshot

To restore a configuration snapshot, run the

cumulus@switch:~$ 
cumulus@switch:~$