We run an ESX environment and we face answering the question of taking snapshots prior to patching our Linux VMs. We don't experience the need to revert to a snapshot often but we have faced instances where a machine won't boot after patching or the developers' code won't behave well after upgrading a particular package in the box. Due to this fact, as a safeguard, my team is in the habit of taking snapshots prior to patching. I know, time consuming. Our reasoning is that reverting to a snapshot is quicker than any other available options: spending extra time in troubleshooting, yum rollback, or an unlikely restore from backup.
We have a staff member who tells us that he heard a VMWare expert say that snapshots should never be used, never ever should you take a snapshot prior to patching our Linux systems. I have not been able to find best practices where this use of snapshots is discouraged. Looking for answers...
Thanks in advance,
RV