File System backup vs Snapshot backup

Filesystem Backup (FSB)

A backup method that works with almost any storage type, including NFS, local disks, or cloud storage that doesn’t support snapshots. Useful when snapshots aren’t available or when fine-grained control over files is needed.

Snapshot Backup

A fast, efficient way to back up entire volumes that is tightly integrated with the storage provider. Ideal for cloud-native environments where CSI snapshots are supported.

Note

  • Filesystem backups are NOT truly cross-platform because they capture files and directories in a way that depends on the underlying storage system. If you back up on AWS, for example, restoring to Azure might not work smoothly.

  • Snapshot backups are also NOT cross-platform by default because they rely on storage provider technology (like AWS EBS snapshots or Azure Disk snapshots). However, if you use a snapshot with a data mover, you can transfer it between cloud providers, making it more portable.

Advantages and disadvantages

Feature

Filesystem Backup

Snapshot Backup

Speed

Slower – Reads and transfers all files, making large backups time-consuming.

Faster – Works at the storage level, quickly capturing an entire volume.

Efficiency

More storage needed – Stores files individually, which may increase backup size.

More efficient – Uses incremental snapshots, reducing backup size and time.

Compatibility

Works with almost any storage – Supports NFS, local storage, cloud object storage, etc.

Requires CSI drivers or storage provider support – Only works if the storage supports snapshots.

Portability

Not fully cross-platform – Can be tricky to restore across different storage systems.

Cross-platform with data mover – Can be transferred between cloud providers with extra tools.

Granular restore

Can restore individual files – Useful if you only need specific files.

Restores entire volume – No easy way to get individual files without additional tools.

When to use each backup type

Use Filesystem Backup if:

  • Your storage provider doesn’t support snapshots (e.g., NFS, EFS, AzureFile).

  • You need to restore specific files instead of the whole volume.

  • You want a backup that works with different storage backends (but not necessarily cross-platform).

Use Snapshot Backup if:

  • You want a fast and efficient backup for large persistent volumes.

  • Your storage supports CSI snapshots or cloud-native snapshots (e.g., AWS EBS, Azure Disks).

  • You need incremental backups to reduce storage costs.