What common activity is runbooks primarily used for?

Runbooks are primarily used for automating and documenting routine operational procedures in IT environments, particularly in cloud and virtualization contexts. They serve as a guide for IT personnel to carry out various operational tasks in a consistent and efficient manner. The correct answer relates to the management of snapshots, which involves taking snapshots of a virtual machine (VM) to preserve its state at a certain point in time. This action is often part of routine procedures outlined in runbooks, as it requires specific steps to ensure that the snapshots are taken correctly and without disruption to services.

While patching, creating new virtual machines, and backing up are important activities in cloud management, runbooks specifically include detailed instructions and workflows essential for managing snapshots effectively. They might outline how to create, manage, and delete snapshots in a standardized way, ensuring that personnel can quickly reference the steps when needed.