What should be done after taking a snapshot of a problematic Azure VM?

Creating a new disk using the snapshot is a crucial step after taking a snapshot of a problematic Azure VM because it allows you to restore the VM to a previous state without affecting its current configuration. When a snapshot is created, it captures the state of a virtual machine's disk at that moment in time, including the operating system, applications, and data. By creating a new disk from the snapshot, you can effectively revert to a known good state while preserving the problematic instance for further analysis.

This method is particularly useful for troubleshooting because it enables you to investigate the issues that led to the problem without disrupting the existing virtual machine environment. It also allows for recovery scenarios—such as instances where data corruption or misconfiguration has occurred—by providing a fallback option for the system.

Utilizing the snapshot in this way creates a new virtual hard disk that can be attached to the original VM or even to a different VM for testing purposes. This approach leverages the benefits of Azure’s snapshot technology, ensuring minimal downtime and enabling a systematic way to handle and resolve issues in virtual environments.