Overview
A snapshot is a point-in-time capture of a data source’s state. Every dSource and VDB in DCT maintains a timeline of snapshots, visible on the Timeline tab of the respective details page. Snapshots are the foundation for provisioning VDBs, refreshing them with updated data, and rewinding them to a prior state.
Snapshots enable fast provisioning of virtual copies without duplicating storage. They provide a historical record of your data at specific points, which is essential for test data management, compliance audit trails, and rapid recovery. Delphix snapshots are storage-efficient and even frequent snapshots consume minimal additional space.
This topic fits alongside the existing Timelines in DCT. The Timeline view shows the full history of snapshots for a given dataset, and the Create Snapshot action is accessible directly from the dSource or VDB details page.
Create a snapshot on demand
For dSources
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Navigate to Data > Data Management > dSources.
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Click View on the target dSource.
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Open the Actions menu and select Create Snapshot.
DCT will present options depending on the platform — for example, whether to take a copy-only full backup of the source database (with optional force compression), use the most recent full/differential backup, or specify a particular backup.
For VDBs
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Navigate to Data > Data Management > VDBs.
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Click View on the target VDB.
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Open the Actions menu and select Create Snapshot.
Once the snapshot job completes, the new snapshot appears on the Timeline tab in chronological order. From this tab you can also modify snapshot retention by clicking the Actions button next to any snapshot entry.
Snapshot policies
Rather than creating snapshots manually each time, most production workflows rely on snapshot policies — scheduled rules that automatically capture snapshots at defined intervals. Policies are configured at the engine level and are visible from the Policies tab on any dSource or VDB details page in DCT, including the associated SnapSync Policy and Retention Policy.
API access
Snapshots can also be created programmatically via the DCT API (POST /snapshots), enabling integration with CI/CD pipelines and automation workflows. You can refer to the API references for more details.
Reference
For platform-specific snapshot behavior (e.g., SnapSync for Oracle, backup-based ingestion for SQL Server), see Ecosystem Hub — Continuous Data Connectors and select the corresponding platform.