What is captured
A snapshot captures five domains that together constitute the node's
configuration:
| Domain | Source | If missing |
|---|---|---|
qt_settings |
The QuantumTouch settings document | {} |
controller_config |
The controller's full configuration | Capture aborts |
vpp_startup_conf |
The VPP startup configuration | "" |
grub_cmdline |
The kernel command line, including drop-ins | "" |
sysctl_hugepages |
The hugepages sysctl drop-in | "" |
The asymmetry is load-bearing. A missing sysctl drop-in is normal on a
freshly-installed box and captures as empty. An unreachable controller aborts
the capture with 503, because a snapshot missing the controller's
configuration would, on a later merge-mode restore, silently appear to contain no
plans and no pools.
Secrets are captured in full, by design — RADIUS shared secrets and captive
portal credentials included. This matches the behaviour of configuration archives
on established carrier platforms, where a restored archive must actually restore
service. Every snapshot therefore carries a warning to that effect in its
warnings array, and snapshot endpoints are admin_only throughout.