ZFS Snapshots for Backup Storage

Key Considerations

Pros

• Provides additional recovery point options
• Protects against backup file corruption
• Minimal storage overhead due to CoW
• Fast snapshot creation/deletion

Cons

• Additional complexity in backup chain
• Increased storage usage over time
• Potential performance impact during heavy snapshot operations

Recommendations

File History (Windows)

⚠️ Conditional/Not Recommended

• File History handles its own versioning
• Creates redundant version layers like Time Machine
• Can waste space with duplicate version tracking
• May complicate recovery process

Time Machine (macOS)

❌ Not Recommended

• TM handles versioning internally
• Redundant snapshot layers
• Can cause mounting issues

Veeam

⚠️ Conditional

• Only for repository validation
• Keep minimal snapshots
• Let Veeam handle versioning

Best Practices

• Set auto-pruning policies
• Monitor space usage
• Separate backup datasets
• Regular scrubs
• Test recovery scenarios

Alternative Approaches

• Mirror backup datasets instead
• Use backup software's built-in verification
• Implement separate backup copies