Snapshot backups are primarily used to restore a system, virtual machine and disk or drive to an operational state and to serve as the system’s restore point when the snapshot was taken. It is not equivalent to a backup copy and it doesn't store the data itself but just defines where and how the data was stored and organized. Typically, the snapshot is created using disk/system imaging or system restoration and recovery software. However, most backup software can also take snapshot backups and restore the system using the snapshots.