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Managing Backup Snapshots

Once your backup plans are running and creating snapshots, Pluton provides powerful tools to interact with your backup data. This guide covers browsing files, searching for specific files, downloading files from snapshots, and comparing snapshots to see what changed between different points in time.

Download Snapshots​

Download entire snapshots as TAR archives for offline storage or transfer to another system.

How to Download:

  1. Navigate to your backup plan's Snapshots tab
  2. Click More Options (⋮) next to the snapshot
  3. Select "Download Snapshot"
  4. A "Downloading" label appears next to the snapshot name
  5. Refresh the page periodically to check download status
  6. When complete, the label changes to a Download button (valid for 24 hours)
  7. Click the download button to save the TAR file

What Happens:

  • Pluton restores the snapshot to a temporary directory
  • Files are packaged into a TAR archive
  • The archive is stored in the server's temp directory
  • Download becomes available once generation completes (may take several minutes for large snapshots)
  • No progress bar is shown—refresh the page to check status

Notes:

  • Downloads expire after 24 hours
  • Encrypted backups remain encrypted in the archive
  • Use extraction tools like 7-Zip or tar command to extract files

Browsing Snapshot Files (PRO)​

The Snapshot Viewer allows you to explore the contents of any backup snapshot, navigate through directories, and view file metadata—all without performing a full restore.

Accessing the Snapshot Viewer​

  1. Navigate to your backup plan details page
  2. Go to the Snapshots tab
  3. Find the snapshot you want to browse
  4. Click the Browse icon (folder icon) next to the snapshot
  5. The Snapshot Viewer opens with the snapshot's root directory

Viewing Directory Contents:

  • The viewer displays the current directory path at the top
  • Files and folders are listed with their names, sizes, and modification times
  • Folder icons indicate directories you can navigate into
  • File icons show the file type based on extension

Moving Through Directories:

  • Enter a folder: Click on any folder name or folder icon
  • Go up one level: Click the ".." entry at the top or use the "Go Up" button
  • Jump to root: Click "Root" in the breadcrumb navigation
  • Use breadcrumbs: Click any folder in the path bar to jump directly to it

Directory Tree (Side Panel):

  • Expandable folder tree shows the complete directory structure
  • Click folder names to navigate instantly
  • Expand/collapse folders using the arrow icons
  • Currently selected folder is highlighted

Sorting and Viewing Options​

Sort Files By:

  • Name: Alphabetical order (A-Z or Z-A)
  • Size: File size (smallest to largest or largest to smallest)
  • Type: File extension/type
  • Modified: Last modification date (newest or oldest first)

Toggle Sort Direction:

  • Click the sort column header to switch between ascending/descending
  • Arrow indicators show current sort direction

View Modes:

  • List View: Detailed file information in table format (default)
  • Grid View: Thumbnail/icon grid for visual browsing (if available)

File Information​

For each file in the snapshot, you can see:

  • Name: Original filename with extension
  • Size: File size in human-readable format (KB, MB, GB)
  • Modified: Last modification timestamp from when backup was taken
  • Type: File type/extension
  • Path: Full path within the snapshot

Using the Snapshot Viewer​

Typical Workflows:

  1. Verify backup contents: Browse to ensure important files were backed up
  2. Find specific files: Navigate to known locations to verify files exist
  3. Check backup completeness: Explore directories to confirm all data is present
  4. Prepare for selective restore: Identify exact paths before restoring specific files

Performance Notes:

  • Large directories (1000+ files) may take a moment to load
  • Snapshot data is indexed for fast browsing
  • No data is downloaded until you explicitly download files
  • Browsing doesn't affect the backup or restore operations

Finding Files (PRO)​

When you need to locate specific files within a snapshot but don't remember their exact location, use the search functionality.

Searching Within a Snapshot​

To Search for Files:

  1. Open the Snapshot Viewer for any snapshot
  2. Locate the Search box in the toolbar
  3. Type your search query
  4. Results update automatically as you type

Search Behavior:

  • Case-insensitive: Searches ignore uppercase/lowercase differences
  • Filename matching: Searches file and folder names
  • Partial matches: Finds files containing your search term anywhere in the name
  • Real-time results: Results appear immediately as you type
  • All subdirectories: Searches current directory and all subdirectories

Search Examples​

Search by Name:

  • report - Finds "Annual_Report.pdf", "report2023.xlsx", "monthly-report.docx"
  • invoice - Finds all files with "invoice" in the name
  • config - Finds configuration files like "config.json", "app.config.yaml"

Search by Extension:

  • .pdf - Finds all PDF files
  • .jpg - Finds all JPEG images
  • .log - Finds all log files
  • .txt - Finds all text files

Search by Date/Number:

  • 2024 - Finds files with "2024" in the name
  • backup - Finds files/folders containing "backup"
  • final - Finds files marked as "final"

Refining Search Results​

After Searching:

  • Results are displayed in the file list
  • Use sorting to organize search results (by size, date, type)
  • Click on any file to view details or download
  • Navigate to parent folder to see file context

Clearing Search:

  • Click the X in the search box to clear
  • Press Escape key to clear search
  • Returns to normal directory browsing

Search Tips:

  • Be specific to narrow results: report_2024 instead of just report
  • Use file extensions to filter by type
  • Combine with sorting to find largest/newest matching files
  • Search from root directory to search entire snapshot

Downloading Files (PRO)​

Download individual files or entire folders directly from any snapshot without performing a full restore.

Downloading a Single File​

  1. Open the Snapshot Viewer for the desired snapshot
  2. Navigate to the file's location
  3. Find the file in the list
  4. Click the Download icon (download arrow) next to the file
  5. Your browser prompts you to save the file
  6. Choose a location and save

What Happens:

  • The file is retrieved from the backup storage
  • If encrypted, it's automatically decrypted during download
  • The file downloads to your browser's default download location
  • Original filename and extension are preserved

Downloading Multiple Files​

Select Multiple Files:

  1. Use checkboxes next to files to select multiple items
  2. Click Download Selected button in the toolbar
  3. Files are downloaded individually or as a ZIP archive (depending on implementation)

Download a Folder:

  1. Navigate to the parent directory containing the folder
  2. Click the Download icon next to the folder name
  3. The entire folder structure is downloaded (usually as a ZIP archive)
  4. All files within the folder and subdirectories are included

Download Options​

File Formats:

  • Individual files: Downloaded in original format
  • Folders: Downloaded as compressed ZIP archive
  • Text files: Can be viewed inline before downloading (if supported)
  • Images: Can be previewed before downloading (if supported)

Download Progress:

  • Small files (< 10MB): Download completes quickly with browser notification
  • Large files (> 10MB): Progress indicator may appear
  • Very large files or folders: May take several minutes depending on size and connection

Viewing Files Before Download​

For certain file types, you can view or preview before downloading:

Preview-Supported File Types:

  • Images: JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, SVG, WebP
  • Text files: TXT, LOG, MD, JSON, XML, CSV
  • Code files: JS, TS, PY, JAVA, C, CPP, HTML, CSS
  • Documents: PDF (in supported browsers)

To Preview a File:

  1. Click the View icon (eye icon) next to the file
  2. File contents open in a viewer modal
  3. Use viewer controls to zoom, navigate pages, etc.
  4. Click Download within the viewer to download the file

Viewer Features:

  • Zoom in/out for images and PDFs
  • Syntax highlighting for code files
  • Search within text documents
  • Copy text from files
  • Navigate multi-page documents

Download Considerations​

Storage Location:

  • Files download from your backup storage destination
  • Download speed depends on storage type and network connection
  • Cloud storage may incur egress costs (check your storage provider)
  • Local storage downloads are typically faster

Security:

  • Downloads use secure encrypted connections (HTTPS)
  • Encrypted backups are decrypted automatically during download
  • No backup password is required (handled by Pluton)
  • Downloaded files are stored unencrypted on your local device

Limitations:

  • Cannot download files currently being backed up
  • Very large files (> 5GB) may require alternative restore methods
  • Concurrent download limit may apply (typically 3-5 simultaneous downloads)

Comparing Snapshots (PRO)​

Compare two snapshots to see exactly what changed between them—identify added, modified, and removed files.

When to Compare Snapshots​

Common Use Cases:

  • Track changes over time: See what files changed between last week and today
  • Verify data loss: Confirm which files were deleted since a previous snapshot
  • Audit modifications: Identify when important files were last changed
  • Prepare selective restore: Determine which files need to be restored
  • Investigate incidents: Find what changed before/after a specific event

How to Compare Snapshots​

  1. Navigate to your backup plan details page
  2. Go to the Snapshots tab
  3. Find the snapshot you want to compare (the "newer" snapshot)
  4. Click the Compare icon (comparison/diff icon)
  5. Select the snapshot to compare against (the "older" snapshot)
  6. The comparison view displays the differences

Comparison View​

The comparison interface shows three categories of changes:

Added Files (Green)​

  • Files that exist in the newer snapshot but not in the older one
  • Indicates new files created between the two snapshots
  • Shows file size and path

What This Means:

  • Files were created after the older snapshot
  • New directories may have been added
  • Data was added to the backup source

Modified Files (Yellow/Orange)​

  • Files that exist in both snapshots but have different contents
  • Indicates files were edited between the two snapshots
  • Shows old size vs. new size

What This Means:

  • File contents changed (edited, updated, appended)
  • File size may have increased or decreased
  • Modification timestamp is different

Removed Files (Red)​

  • Files that exist in the older snapshot but not in the newer one
  • Indicates files were deleted between the two snapshots
  • Shows the file size that was lost

What This Means:

  • Files were deleted after the older snapshot
  • Directories may have been removed
  • Data loss occurred (intentional or accidental)

Comparison Details​

For Each Changed File:

  • Full path: Complete file path within backup structure
  • Old size vs. New size: Size comparison for modified files
  • Change type: Icon/badge indicating added/modified/removed
  • Timestamp: When the change occurred (based on snapshot dates)

Summary Statistics:

  • Total files added
  • Total files modified
  • Total files removed
  • Total size difference (space gained or lost)

Using Comparison Results​

Identify Files to Restore:

  • Review removed or modified files
  • Select specific files you want to restore from the older snapshot
  • Click Restore Selected to restore those files

Investigate Changes:

  • Click on modified files to see size differences
  • Download both versions to compare contents manually
  • Use modification dates to establish timeline

Export Comparison:

  • Export comparison results as CSV or JSON (if supported)
  • Save report for audit or documentation purposes
  • Share results with team members

Comparing Against Other Sources​

In addition to comparing two snapshots, you can also compare:

Compare with Source (Current State)​

Compare a snapshot against the current live source files:

  1. Click Compare on any snapshot
  2. Select "Compare with Current Source"
  3. Shows what's different between backup and live data

Use Cases:

  • Verify backup is up-to-date with source
  • Identify files that haven't been backed up yet
  • Check if source has changed since last backup

Compare with Custom Path​

Compare a snapshot against a different directory:

  1. Click Compare on any snapshot
  2. Select "Compare with Custom Path"
  3. Enter the path to compare against
  4. View differences

Use Cases:

  • Compare backup against a test environment
  • Verify restored files match backup
  • Compare backup against a different server/device

Comparison Performance​

Comparison Speed:

  • Small snapshots (< 1000 files): Nearly instant
  • Medium snapshots (1,000 - 10,000 files): Few seconds
  • Large snapshots (> 10,000 files): May take 10-30 seconds

Optimization Tips:

  • Compare snapshots from similar time periods (less processing needed)
  • Use filters to narrow comparison scope (if available)
  • Compare within same backup plan for faster results

Next Steps​

Advanced snapshot management features help you get the most value from your backups by making your data easily accessible and understandable.