Introduction / Issue
Accidental file deletion is a common risk in production environments. Even experienced administrators can mistakenly remove critical files during maintenance activities. In one instance, important application configuration files were deleted from a Linux server, putting service continuity at risk.
Immediate restoration was required without impacting running services. This situation highlighted the importance of snapshot-based backups in Linux infrastructure.
Why We Need to Do This / Cause of the Issue
Cause
Files were deleted due to human error during routine cleanup activity. Since the deletion was permanent, the system was unable to access required configuration files.
Impact
- Application services failed to start
- Configuration data was lost
- Risk of extended downtime
- Manual recreation of files was time-consuming and error-prone
Without a reliable recovery mechanism, such incidents can severely affect system availability.
How Do We Solve
Snapshot-based backups provide a fast and efficient way to restore deleted files without restoring entire filesystems.
Step 1: Locate Available Snapshots
Most enterprise storage solutions maintain filesystem snapshots. Snapshots are commonly accessible under:
/path/.snapshot/
List available snapshots:
ls /emdata/.snapshot/
Step 2: Identify the Required Snapshot
ls /emdata/.snapshot/daily-2026-01-10_0200/
Step 3: Restore the Deleted File
cp -p /emdata/.snapshot/daily-2026-01-10_0200/app/config/app.conf /app/config/
Step 4: Verify Restoration
ls -l /app/config/app.conf
After snapshot recovery:
- Files restored successfully
- Application resumed normal operation
- No data loss
Conclusion
Snapshot-based file recovery provides a quick and reliable solution for accidental deletions in Linux environments. It eliminates the need for full backups and reduces recovery time significantly.
By implementing and utilizing snapshot technology, infrastructure stability and service availability were effectively maintained.
