What are VMware snapshots used for?

VMware snapshots are primarily designed to capture the current state of a virtual machine at a specific point in time. This capability allows you to save the virtual machine's settings, the contents of its memory, and its disk state. When a snapshot is taken, it effectively preserves the VM's entire state, enabling administrators or users to revert back to that snapshot later if needed, such as in case of a system failure, software installation issues, or any other reason where restoring the VM to a previous state is necessary.

This feature is particularly useful in testing environments where changes may be made that could potentially affect the stability or performance of the virtual machine. By creating snapshots before making significant changes, users can easily roll back if the outcome is not as expected.

The other options do not accurately reflect the core function of snapshots. For example, while they can aid in scenarios that involve backups, they are not a primary backup solution. Snapshots do not inherently improve performance and are not intended for automating the deployment of new virtual machines, which are separate functionalities within VMware’s suite of tools.