Snapshots are an exciting feature that allows you to store a read-only archive of any files. You can define a snapshot, add files to it, and then finalize the snapshot. Once finalized, the contents of the snapshot do not change. Each snapshot may include an expiration date; when the expiration date occurs, the snapshot is automatically removed from the Files.com platform.

Example Use Case: Legal Hold

A legal hold is when certain files are kept safe and cannot be changed, deleted, or destroyed because they might be needed for a legal case, investigation, or audit. This ensure the files stay true and reliable for any legal or official needs.

If there is a potential legal dispute with a counterparty, for example, a site administrator might create a snapshot of all the files that can be accessed by the counterparty. Once it is finalized, the snapshot preserves the files as they were the date the snapshot was created without requiring any changes to the folders or user accounts that organization may have access to.

Example Use Case: Backup of External Storage

With snapshots, you can create a read-only archive of any set of files associated with your site, even files located in other systems that you access via Remote Server Mounts. This can reduce the risk of losing access to files stored in external systems.

Site administrators can create snapshots of the desired files on a scheduled basis and set expiration dates on each snapshot.

Example Use Case: Snapshot Share Links

When you create a new Share Link, you can choose to create it as either a snapshot or live link. Snapshot share links will automatically store the shared files within a snapshot. When the share link and the snapshot expire, the snapshot files are removed. This allows share links to send point-in-time versions of files rather than a live view into a set of files that might change.