Lightshot Snapshot

Introduction to Gaia Lightshot Snapshot

Each Regular Gaia Snapshot and each Scheduled Gaia Snapshot requires significant disk space (more than 12 gigabytes on a Security Gateway, more than 30 gigabytes on a VSX Gateway). It takes a long time to create these Gaia Snapshots.

Starting in R82, Gaia OS has an additional feature - Lightshot Snapshot. This snapshot type saves only the delta of the disk partition. As a result, it takes less disk space and less time to create each Lightshot Snapshot. The smaller the delta between the current state of the disk partition and the previous Lightshot Snapshot, the less disk space and less time are required.

Item

Lightshot Snapshot

Regular Gaia Snapshot,

Scheduled Gaia Snapshot

Required disk space for each snapshot

Small.

Large.

Required time to create each snapshot

Short.

Long.

Required disk partition to store each snapshot

Uses one disk partition for all snapshots:

/mnt/lightshot

Creates a dedicated disk partition for each snapshot.

Deleting an existing snapshot

You can delete any snapshot in any order.

You can delete snapshots only in the order they were created (from the latest to the earliest).

Exporting a new snapshot

Supported over the SSH protocol.

Supported over the FTP protocol and the SCP protocol.

Importing an existing snapshot

Supported over the SSH protocol.

Supported over the FTP protocol and the SCP protocol.

Scheduling a snapshot

Must use the Gaia Job Scheduler to run the Expert mode command "lightshot".

See Job Scheduler.

Supported directly in Gaia OS.

Note - Some Lightshot CLI features are different in Gaia Clish / Gaia gClish and in the Expert mode.

Lightshot Syntax in Gaia Clish / Gaia gClish

On Scalable Platforms (ElasticXL, Maestro, and Chassis), you must run the applicable commands in Gaia gClish of the applicable Security Group.

add lightshot name <Name of Snapshot> description "<Description>" [target ssh ip <IP Address> username <Username> password <Password>] [force]

set lightshot

      configuration

            savelogs

                  state {enabled | disabled}

                  verbosity {0 | 1 | 2 | 3}

      import name <Name of Snapshot> target ssh ip <IP Address> username <Username> password <Password>

      restore

            callback

            name <Name of Snapshot>

show

      lightshot

            configuration

                  savelogs

      lightshot-partition

            available-space

            required-space

            size

            used-space

      lightshots

            [target ssh ip <IP Address> username <Username> password <Password>]

            [verbose]

delete lightshot name <Name of Snapshot>

      [force]

      [target ssh ip <IP Address> username <Username> password <Password>]

Parameter

Description

add lightshot <Parameters>

Creates a new lightshot snapshot.

  • name <Name of Snapshot>

    Specifies the name of the snapshot (without spaces).

  • description <"Description>"

    Specifies the description for this snapshot.

  • target ssh <Parameters>

    Specifies the remote server.

  • force

    Forces the update of an existing snapshot file.

set lightshot configuration <Parameters>

Configures the lightshot snapshot settings.

  • configuration savelogs state

    Enables or disables (this is the default) the saving of the logs state.

  • configuration savelogs verbosity {0 | 1 | 2 | 3}

    Configures the log verbosity level:

    • 0 - General Log (this is the default)

    • 1 - General Log, and Commands

    • 2 - General Log, Commands, and HCP

    • 3 - General Log, Commands, HCP, CPInfo, and CPviewDB

set lightshot import <Parameters>

Imports the lightshot snapshot from a remote server to this Gaia server.

set lightshot restore <Parameters>

Restores an existing local lightshot snapshot on this Gaia server.

  • callback

    Deletes the registered request to restore a local lightshot snapshot during the next reboot.

    This command works only if you did not reboot the Gaia server yet.

  • name <Name of Snapshot>

    Specifies the name of the snapshot.

Notes:

  • You can restore a Lightshot Snapshot only on the same Check Point Appliance, on which you created it.

  • You must make sure that the size of the Lightshot partition equals, at a minimum, to the size of the local snapshot you need to restore.

show lightshot configuration <Parameters>

Shows the lightshot configuration for logs.

  • configuration savelogs

    Shows the log state and log verbosity level.

show lightshot-partition <Parameters>

Shows the information about the Lightshot partition.

  • available-space

  • required-space

  • size

  • used-space

show lightshots <Parameters>

Shows all existing lightshot snapshots (Name, Description, Date and Time).

  • target ssh <Parameters>

    Shows all existing lightshot snapshots on the remote server.

  • verbose

    Also shows the snapshot size (this output can take some time).

delete lightshot <Parameters>

Deletes an existing lightshot snapshot.

  • name <Name of Snapshot>

    Specifies the name of the snapshot.

  • target ssh <Parameters>

    Deletes an existing lightshot snapshot on the remote server.

  • force

    Forces the deletion of an existing snapshot file.

target ssh <Parameters>

Specifies the remote server.

This server must be reachable over the SSH protocol.

  • ip <IP Address>

    Specifies the IP address of a remote server.

  • username <Username>]

    Specifies the username for an SSH connection.

    This username must have root permissions.

  • password <Password>

    Specifies the password for an SSH connection.

Lightshot Syntax in the Expert mode

On Scalable Platforms (Maestro and Chassis), you must run the applicable commands in the Expert mode on the applicable Security Group.

The log file for this command: /var/log/lightshot.log

lightshot -h

lightshot [--ip <IP Address> [--username <Username>] [--pswd <Password>]] [--format {txt | json | yaml}

      callback

            -h

            update-token

lightshot [--ip <IP Address> [--username <Username>] [--pswd <Password>]] [--format {txt | json | yaml}

      clone

            -h

            --reboot

            --ssh-mode

lightshot [--ip <IP Address> [--username <Username>] [--pswd <Password>]] [--format {txt | json | yaml}

      create

            -h

           [--descr <"Description>"]

           [--force]

           [<Name of Snapshot>]

lightshot [--ip <IP Address> [--username <Username>] [--pswd <Password>]] [--format {txt | json | yaml}

      delete

            -h

           [--fcd]

           [--force]

           [--keep <Number>]

           [<Name of Snapshot>]

lightshot [--ip <IP Address> [--username <Username>] [--pswd <Password>]] [--format {txt | json | yaml}

      expert

            -h

            mount

            show-token

            umount

            update-token

lightshot [--ip <IP Address> [--username <Username>] [--pswd <Password>]] [--format {txt | json | yaml}

      import

            -h

           [<Name of Snapshot>]

lightshot [--ip <IP Address> [--username <Username>] [--pswd <Password>]] [--format {txt | json | yaml}

      restore

            -h

           [--fcd]

           [--now]

           [--reboot]

           [<Name of Snapshot>]

lightshot [--ip <IP Address> [--username <Username>] [--pswd <Password>]] [--format {txt | json | yaml}

      set

            -h

            configuration

                  -h

                  state {enabled | disabled}

                  verbosity {0 | 1 | 2 | 3}

lightshot [--ip <IP Address> [--username <Username>] [--pswd <Password>]] [--format {txt | json | yaml}

      show

            -h

            configuration

                  -h

                  savelogs

            diff

                  -h

                  <Name of Snapshot 1> <Name of Snapshot 1>

            partition

                  -h

                  [--filter <Parameter>]

            snapshot

                  -h

                  [--name <Name of Snapshot>]

            snapshots

                  -h

                  [--verbose]

Parameter

Description

-h

Shows the built-in help.

--ip <IP Address

Specifies the IP address of a remote server.

This IP address must be reachable over the SSH protocol.

  • --username <Username>]

    Specifies the username for an SSH connection.

    This username must have root permissions.

  • --pswd <Password>

    Specifies the password for an SSH connection.

--format {txt | json | yaml}

Specifies the output format:

  • txt - Plain text (this is the default)

  • json - JSON

  • yaml - YAML

lightshot callback

Deletes the registered request to restore a lightshot snapshot (with the "lightshot restore" sub-command) during the next reboot.

This command works only if you did not reboot the Gaia server yet.

lightshot clone <Parameters>

Clones the lightshot snapshot from a remote server to this Gaia server.

  • --ssh-mode

    Forces to use the SSH protocol.

  • --reboot

    Forces to reboot after the cloning.

These parameters are mandatory for this sub-command:

--ip <IP Address> [--username <Username>] [--pswd <Password>]

lightshot create <Parameters>

Creates a new lightshot snapshot.

You can specify a remote server.

  • --descr <"Description>"

    Specifies the description for this snapshot.

  • --force

    Forces the update of an existing snapshot file.

  • <Name of Snapshot>

    Specifies the name of the snapshot (without spaces).

lightshot delete <Parameters>

Deletes an existing local lightshot snapshot.

  • --fcd

    Forces the deletion of an entire partition.

  • --force

    Forces the deletion of an existing local snapshot file.

  • --keep <Number>

    Configures the number of last snapshots to keep.

    In the last parameter "<Name of Snapshot>", you can enter a string to filter for snapshots, whose name contains this string.

  • <Name of Snapshot>

    Specifies the name of the snapshot.

lightshot expert <Parameters>

Expert sub-commands:

  • mount

  • show-token

  • umount

  • update-token

lightshot import <Parameters>

Imports the lightshot snapshot from a remote server to this Gaia server.

  • <Name of Snapshot>

    Specifies the name of the snapshot.

These parameters are mandatory for this sub-command:

--ip <IP Address> [--username <Username>] [--pswd <Password>]

lightshot restore <Parameters>

Restores an existing lightshot snapshot on this Gaia server.

  • --fcd

    Forces the restoration of an entire partition.

  • --now

    Forces the immediate restoration.

  • --reboot

    Forces the restoration after a reboot.

  • <Name of Snapshot>

    Specifies the name of the snapshot.

Notes:

  • You can restore a Lightshot Snapshot only on the same Check Point Appliance, on which you created it.

  • You must make sure that the size of the Lightshot partition equals, at a minimum, to the size of the local snapshot you need to restore.

lightshot set <Parameters>

Configures the lightshot snapshot settings.

  • configuration savelogs state

    Enables or disables (this is the default) the saving of the logs state.

  • configuration savelogs verbosity {0 | 1 | 2 | 3}

    Configures the log verbosity level:

    • 0 - General Log (this is the default)

    • 1 - General Log, and Commands

    • 2 - General Log, Commands, and HCP

    • 3 - General Log, Commands, HCP, CPInfo, and CPviewDB

lightshot show configuration <Parameters>

Shows the lightshot configuration for logs.

  • configuration savelogs

    Shows the log state and log verbosity level.

lightshot show diff <Parameters>

Compares two specified local lightshot snapshots.

lightshot show partition <Parameters>

Shows the information about the Lightshot partition.

  • partition --filter <Parameter>

    Shows only the specified parameter:

    • available

    • mount-on

    • required-space

    • size

    • used

lightshot show snapshot <Parameters>

Shows the specified existing local lightshot snapshots (Name, Description, Date and Time).

lightshot show snapshots <Parameters>

Shows all existing local lightshot snapshots (Name, Description, Date and Time).

  • snapshots --verbose

    Also shows the snapshot size (this output can take some time).